


Rising with the Midnight Sun

by honeybunchesofotey



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Azula was a victim, Best Friends, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Minor Aang/Katara, Minor Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mutual Pining, Past Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka gets sick, Sokka is an inventor, Sokka loves food, Sokka the tech designer, Suki/Ty Lee Mention, Zuko has Panic Attacks, Zuko has hearing loss, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko rises with the sun, Zuko sees a therapist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:55:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25573951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybunchesofotey/pseuds/honeybunchesofotey
Summary: This is an Idiot Friends to Idiot Fiances journey. It picks up a few months after the end of the war but it takes place primarily five years later.PANIC ATTACKS WARNING.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 93
Kudos: 451





	1. Iroh Didn't Send Me

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter takes place four months after the war and then there's a time jump. Ultimately, I leave the animated series as canon but I'm picking and choosing what I have kept in canon from the comics for this story. PANIC ATTACKS WARNING for this chapter.
> 
> This is my first fan fiction, so I hope you enjoy!

After the war it seemed like everyone had to go their own way. There were so many important things to do in order to rebuild the world that Zuko’s forefathers had destroyed, and it was impossible for Zuko to not feel responsible. He had felt alone for the vast majority of his life growing up, but since he had started to realize what it was like to have friends his own age who cared about _him_ instead of what his status could offer, he had never felt more isolated in the walls of the palace.

His loneliness was getting worse and he wanted nothing more than to reach out to his newfound friends and beg them to spend time in the Fire Nation. Yet he couldn’t help but think that was selfish. It was his family’s fault that they were all in the mess they were in and Zuko didn’t feel right distracting his friends from what they were trying to accomplish. Four months had passed since his coronation, and though he missed them terribly the moment they left him to restart their lives, things were now getting unbearable.

At Uncle’s suggestion, Zuko had been seeing a royal therapist. He hesitated to go, of course, but the second Uncle mentioned that he would hate to see Zuko lose himself to anger like his father did, Zuko was willing to give it a try. In their sessions, Zuko opened up and admitted he was overwhelmed. Things were hard, he had little support in his day to day, he got pushback from members of the council on things he needed to change, and he never realized just how lonely he felt until he knew what it was like to be around people who wanted what was best for him.

His therapist told him that he should reach out and say those things to his friends. She said that he would never get what he wants if he won’t ask. Zuko understood what she was trying to say but he couldn’t help thinking she didn’t get where he was coming from. He took her advice in part, though, and reached out...only after they sent him letters first...and he didn’t ask them to come visit him. He couldn’t bring himself to ask. But he did have contact! That’s, honestly, more than he could have hoped for at this point.

He knew hearing from his friends by mail would suffice at any ordinary time, but it was almost the anniversary of his banishment. If he were anywhere else, it might not have hit him so hard, but surrounded by the walls of the palace, doing the job his father had before him, and staying in the chambers that once belonged to his father...it was all too much. He could feel himself cracking. He had written five different versions of a letter, all asking his friends to come visit, telling them that he needed them right now. He burnt each up after signing his name. Zuko felt that asking his friends to drop everything was manipulative and dirty.

Instead, he kept quiet. He didn’t let on in any of his meetings that he wasn’t doing well. He held it together in front of his staff. He lied to his therapist. He ignored the letters that Uncle had sent. But he couldn’t ignore it forever. His body wouldn’t allow him to. He had finished his last meeting of the day and decided to take the remainder of his work to his bedchamber, hoping the silence and the solitude would bring him peace, but there was no peace to be found. Zuko had his work stacked high in barely organized piles on a desk big enough for three people to share comfortably but he couldn’t force his arms to pick anything up and get started. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this frozen, this completely unable to move.

He managed to sit down on one of the couches in the chamber near the desk before he could collapse on the floor. His hands started trembling ever so slightly which then made its way up his arms and into his body. Zuko felt his heart pounding so hard that soon it was the only thing he could hear and he began to panic. The tremble turned into a shake and tears began falling down his face involuntarily. He pushed his hands to his face, trying to force at least one part of his body to stop and he let out a guttural scream. In his state, he was genuinely surprised to hear -

“Spirits, Zuko, are you okay?” Sokka asked, throwing whatever was in his arms to the ground and rushing to the couch where Zuko was curled in on himself. The shock of another person beside him pulled Zuko out of his attack long enough to look up briefly. Sokka, seeing the tears run down his beet red face and noticing his body convulsing, did exactly what he would want done to him, and he wrapped his arms around Zuko’s body. He thought it was working at first because Zuko’s body slowed down, but then he heard Zuko take in one sharp breath and hold it.

“Too much,” Zuko said, barely audible. Sokka immediately got the message and let go. Still concerned, he looked at Zuko, trying to think quickly on his feet but it wasn’t coming easy. He shifted to sitting on the floor in front of Zuko’s feet.

“Um. Breathe?..Yes! Take a few deep breaths really slowly,” Sokka remembered. Zuko, relieved now that he wasn’t being touched, had gotten himself together enough to follow instructions. He began to breathe in on Sokka’s count and exhale when told. Once he stopped physically trembling, Zuko shifted his weight forward slightly, pushing his feet to the edge of the couch so that they were closer to Sokka. Sokka, wanting more than anything to help his friend, had the impulse to reach out and hold Zuko’s ankles but he stopped himself mid-movement.

“Can..can I touch you? Is that okay? Would that help?” Sokka asked. Zuko nodded his head so slightly that Sokka would have missed it if he had looked away. He reached out in front of him and held on to Zuko’s ankles lightly. “Okay, keep breathing Zuko. It’s gonna be okay. I...I will do whatever it takes to make sure that things are okay.”

Zuko picked his head up, his breath now completely under control. He looked Sokka in the eyes for the first time and whispered, “Thanks, Sokka.”

“Do you want to talk about it? Because you don’t have to!” Sokka corrected himself. “Only if you feel comfortable.” Sokka had started rubbing his thumbs in circles on Zuko’s ankles, trying to make any attempt to help.

“Yeah. I can talk. That might help, actually,” Zuko admitted, his voice strained. He cocked his head to indicate that he should join him on the couch. Sokka didn’t seem to understand. “Dude, come sit. I don’t want to look down at you.” Sokka, finally getting the message, hurried to his feet so he could take his place to the right of Zuko. Zuko relaxed his legs and shifted his body slightly to open up more towards Sokka, who put his fingertips lightly on Zuko’s right knee as an indication that he was still trying to comfort the young Firelord.

“I..I haven’t been doing great. I thought I was okay, but...with the anniversary...I don’t know. I let myself fall apart. I knew this was going to happen. It’s just too much,” Zuko said, looking at his lap. “I know why you’re here. Uncle sent you, didn’t he? I haven’t been responding to his letters so he sent you to come do a wellness check.” Zuko turned his head to look at Sokka as he sat up a little straighter, confusion spreading across his face.

“What? Iroh didn’t send me,” Sokka corrected.

“Oh,” Zuko responded. “So you could just tell by my letters? Am I that obvious?” Zuko was now starting to feel really self-concious, his stomach was turning.

“No, man. Your letters sounded normal. But, to be honest, I’m not sure I would have picked up on them being concerning if you didn’t just say that outright. You said it’s the anniversary. Of what?” Sokka asked, now rubbing circles on Zuko’s knee with his fingers.

“It’s been four years since my father banished me. It’s the first anniversary that’s happened with me living in the palace. I had always assumed the next time I was in the palace on the anniversary, my father would be here and he’d be proud of me. I’m not looking for his approval or anything, but I’m doing his job, living in his house, his bedroom, even. It’s...it’s a lot of pressure, Sokka. I’m not sure I’m doing a good job. But if I was doing a bad job in a place that didn’t remind me of my father, it wouldn’t be this terrible,” Zuko had started crying, again. It wasn’t frantic, but it was happening without his permission. “I’ll be okay. I know I did the right thing, helping you guys take down my father, becoming the Firelord in his place, even locking him up, but that doesn’t make the job easy. The choices I have to make aren’t easy. And everywhere I look, there’s a reminder of the fact that I’m having to correct 100 years of family mistakes. I just don’t know if I’m the best person to be doing this. What if I end up just like them? It’s in my blood and-”

“No. You’ll never be your father. Or your grandfather. Or your great grandfather. That’s not your destiny. You’re not that person, Zuko, and you know that,” Sokka tried to reassure him. He couldn’t let him keep spiraling. Sokka couldn’t let his friend think those terrible things about himself. “Why didn’t you tell any of us this was going on?”

Zuko shrugged. “I guess...I didn’t want to bother anyone with my problems. You have real things to worry about. We all have the fate of the world in our hands. It’s not fair for you to have to drop everything that’s important to come and make me feel better about myself.”

“Dude,” Sokka said completely sincerely, grabbing Zuko’s hand. “You not feeling good about yourself or being overwhelmed or even just needing a friend for a bit is absolutely a reason good enough for us to drop everything and come here. Plus, work can be super boring. There’s nothing quite as big a letdown as piles of paperwork after spending a year saving the world.” Zuko laughed for the first time that week. He knew what Sokka meant. Last year was really stressful, but at least it was interesting. There wasn’t time for boredom, not with people trying to kill you. In the last four months, Sokka had been working as an advisor and strategist in the Southern Water Tribe. Their main focus was to improve communications between the two tribes. They’d start working to integrate the four nations into a worldwide exchange as soon as they could heal themselves. Zuko knew from Sokka’s letters that his work was time consuming and difficult and there weren’t nearly enough people his age around since Aang and Katara set out to kickstart the beginnings of peace and restoration.

“Wait,” Zuko said, a small smile threatening to spread across his face. “Did you just come because you were bored?”

“Kinda?” Sokka chuckled. His smile faded quickly, though. “But...I also just needed to be around a friend right now. Katara and Aang are too busy, Toph is working on opening a metalbending school, and...I mean I know you’re busy, too, but you were honestly the only person I felt comfortable dropping in on.”

“What about Suki?” Zuko asked. Sokka squeezed Zuko’s hand once and then let go, bringing his hand to his hair, trying to distract himself.

“I’m really happy for Suki. I didn’t want to upset her. We broke up,” Sokka explained. Zuko’s eyes widened, clearly surprised. “I was actually just with her in the Earth Kingdom. It was the first time I’d had the chance to see her since your coronation. I knew it was coming but that still doesn’t make it...easier, you know?” Sokka was no longer making eye contact with Zuko. “We knew things were fizzling. We lived so far away from each other and it was clear neither of us were willing to budge on who was going to work less for the other. Plus, she knew it would be easier to be with someone she was around more often. That’s how she got close to Ty Lee. Suki says that they hadn’t done anything yet because she wanted to be respectful but I’m sure they’re together right now...It’s not that she’s with someone else. I really am happy for her! It’s just...I feel so...replaceable.” Sokka sighed.

“You’re not, though,” Zuko said plainly as if it were an absolute truth. “When things don’t work out with someone but they make sense with someone else, that doesn’t mean the person left behind is replaceable. That’s what my therapist has been trying to tell me. No one could ever replace you, Sokka. You’re far too unique for that.” Sokka chuckled, making eye contact once again.

“Thanks, man,” Sokka replied, putting his hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “That means a lot...And I’m glad you’re seeing a therapist. We could all probably use one after everything.” Zuko smiled the smallest smile and nodded.

“Yeah,” Zuko breathed in sharply, pretending it wasn’t a laugh. “We’re all a little messed up, now, aren’t we? You didn’t suck at calming me down, by the way. You’ve done that before, haven’t you?”

Sokka nodded, “Katara used to get panic attacks when we were little. It was too hard on Gran Gran to take care of it, with dad being gone. So I eventually figured out a routine to help her calm down pretty quickly. She hasn’t had one in a while.”

The two sat in silence for a moment until Zuko finally spoke up, “Thanks...for everything. And for showing up. It was...perfect timing.” Sokka smiled and pulled him into a side hug. The conversation flowed easily from there. They started arguing again about whether sword-bending was a form of bending, Sokka described the oogies he got from watching Katara and Aang’s new relationship, and it was like no time had passed at all. They promised they’d write more and be honest about what’s going on in their lives.

\--------------

Over the next five years, the visits between Zuko and Sokka became more frequent. Sokka always made sure he was at the palace the week of the anniversary, but once a year wasn’t enough. By the fifth year, they were up to six visits annually. Five of the trips were to the Fire Nation and, once a year, Zuko would take time off and see Sokka in the Southern Water Tribe.

When Sokka would see Zuko at the palace, he understood that Zuko would still be working. Zuko never told him that he had cut his workload in half every time Sokka showed up. He’d work twice as hard the week before to get things out of the way and he’d have a lot of late nights once Sokka was gone, but it was worth it to get to spend time with your best friend.

Zuko always had a blast hanging out with Sokka. He was more relaxed and expressive than the council members Zuko worked with on a daily basis. Sokka lifted his spirits when he could tell Zuko was stressed. Sometimes he would sit in on meetings to try and intimidate or confuse the other people in the room. He was usually drawing really terrible pictures in the corner while the council thought he was taking diligent notes. Zuko loved the drawings. They were usually of whoever in the meeting was most annoying. Sometimes they were of Zuko. Sokka assumed Zuko threw the notes away, but Zuko had a box in his room filled with Sokka’s awful inkings.

When they were alone, Sokka would play “One Million Gold Coins” if he thought Zuko was ignoring him for work too much or if Zuko got frustrated.

“For one million gold coins, would you wear clothes made only out of Appa’s fur for the rest of your life?” Sokka had asked once.

Zuko was lost in thought for a bit before asking, “It depends. Are _you_ making the clothes? Because if your sewing is anything like your drawings, I’ll end up naked most of the time and that doesn’t exactly strike me as “becoming” of a Firelord.”

“Ouch!” Sokka had responded, putting his hand on his heart, pretending it ached. “No. I won’t make the clothes. They could be made by your royal tailor. They can even be dyed red, if that helps. But they have to be 100% Appa fur...AND Aang won’t be warned until he sees you wearing them.”

“Oh, wow. Okay,” Zuko pondered his options. “Okay, I would do it but only if I got _five_ million gold coins, not a brass coin less.”

Sokka was always finding ways to make Zuko feel more comfortable in his job, in the palace, in his own skin. When Sokka was around, Zuko was able to breathe more deeply and focus more on balancing his life so he didn’t meet an early grave. So, naturally, Zuko invited him to stay. Permanently.

“You want me to move in?” Sokka had asked, surprised by the offer.

“Yes. I do,” Zuko responded. “Because I want to offer you a job.” This threw Sokka off. He had been about to laugh but he cut it out immediately, staring at the Firelord curiously. “You should be the Water Tribe Ambassador. We’re ready to start infiltrating delegates from the other nations into our council to improve communications, collaborations, and further peace. I can’t imagine anyone more qualified for the job than you. You already know everyone here, you’ve been to dozens of meetings and they don’t freak you out, and you’ve been collaborating with me from the South Pole. You’re basically already doing the job...Plus, wouldn’t it be nice working with someone you can have an enjoyable conversation with?”

Sokka paused for a moment, weighing his options. “Well, I would still be working for my people. And I’d probably get a lot more accomplished working with you than on my own.” Zuko raised his eyebrow, uncertain how the water tribe boy was going to respond. “Of course, I’ll take the job! I’ll move in at the end of the month. Let me wrap some stuff up at home, figure out how things are going to work without me there, and I’ll come join you.”

Zuko was beyond thrilled. He tried to pretend he was happy because his best friend was going to finally get the pay and title he deserved, but he knew that wasn’t the primary reason. He was just happy Sokka was going to be there.

\-----------

The end of the month arrived and Zuko had been waiting at the dock all day. Sokka hadn’t let him know what time of day he’d be arriving, but Zuko didn’t mind. He had cleared his schedule to help Sokka move in and take him out for a celebratory dinner.

His stomach twisted in knots when he saw Sokka’s ship sailing to the port. A shock ran through his whole body and tingled in his fingertips. That certainly threw him off. He had never felt anything like that before. Zuko figured he must be overly exhausted. He barely slept last night, making sure all of his work got done before today...but he had been exhausted before.

He tried pushing his thoughts away. He was just excited to be welcoming his friend. It was, after all, going to be nice to have someone his own age to work with and spend time with in the palace. Why shouldn’t he be excited? Zuko tried to let it go.

“Sifu Hotman! How did I get lucky enough to have the Firelord himself welcome me to the Fire Nation?” the brand new Water Tribe Ambassador exclaimed, stumbling off the ship and into a platypus bear hug with Zuko.

“If you call me Sifu Hotman again, you’ll definitely be fired,” Zuko said, trying to conceal a smile spreading across his face.

Sokka laughed, “Sorry. Aang paid me a silver piece to call you that. I’ll stop.” Sokka grabbed one bag, tossed the other to Zuko, and draped his free arm around the Firelord as they started walking towards the palace gates. Zuko tried to push down a blush when he realized he didn’t actually hate being called “Sifu Hotman”...not if the name was being said by Sokka.


	2. My Love Language Is Organization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka is pretty naive to think that Zuko isn't constantly working but he'll be darned if he can't make things a little easier. As a friend. Of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things before we get started. I made a joke recently on TikTok that I ship Zuko with therapy. I wasn't kidding. So I decided to put my money where my mouth is and give the kid someone who could professionally help him work out the literal child abuse he's experienced. ALSO! As an LGBTQ+ person myself, I have a hard time reading fics that include homophobia or characters having to choose to pretend to be straight because of the fear associated with being themselves. So I have decided that homophobia just isn't a thing in Avatar. The Fire Nation has never and will never ban gay marriage because I said so. They no longer have to get over the obstacle of being into guys. They just have to get over the obstacles present in a straight relationship.

After his work in the palace began, Sokka noticed that Zuko was a _lot_ busier now than whenever Sokka was visiting. At first, Sokka was willing to let it slide. He had plenty of work to get done on his own so he wasn’t spending _too_ much time by himself with nothing to do. Whenever he had free time and Zuko was too busy, Sokka had plenty of things to do to keep himself entertained. There was an eggroll cafe in town he began frequenting called Flames. They made GIANT egg rolls the size of your forearm. Sokka loved them despite needing to drink a gallon of water after each one due to the spice level. If he didn’t feel like leaving the palace grounds, Sokka often unconsciously made his way to the turtleduck pond. He wasn’t certain whether he liked the pond because _he_ liked being there or if he connected the location to Zuko’s enthusiasm whenever he took Sokka there.

Regardless of his reason, Sokka had once again found himself watching the turtleducks swim and chirp playfully. He had been to Flames twice today so it didn’t take much for him to slip into a food coma. The grass was soft beneath him, the weather was surprisingly cool for the Fire Nation, and the shade of the tree was just right. He only woke up several hours later because a baby turtleduck had mistaken his hand for a piece of bread and bit down.

Startled, Sokka, sat up and took stock of his surroundings. Night had fallen. Everything was perfectly peaceful around him but he was too wired now to continue sitting in silence. Sokka weighed his options. He could go back to Flames but he wasn’t sure his stomach could bear that much spice in one day. There were guards around just asking to be messed with but his instinct to prank ended when he remembered that he was now an employee at the palace and he should at least pretend to be professional. Sokka could always wander through the town but then he’d be way too tempted to buy things at any and every store and he knew his wallet would never be able to recover from another shopping spree.

He had one viable option remaining: he had to go bug Zuko. Besides, it was pushing 11 pm at this point, so there was no way Zuko could still be working. Sokka made his way to the royal office of the Firelord and barged in. Though it wasn’t anything new, Sokka was always flattered when the guards allowed him immediate access to whatever room Zuko was in. That must be a perk of saving the world; people trust you enough to not worry about the safety of their employer.

Sokka took one look around and his heart dropped. Not only was Zuko so lost in his piles of work that he didn’t notice Sokka had entered the room, but the stacks of paperwork were scattered haphazardly into ever increasing stacks. You could go swimming in the piles.

“Zu, are you kidding?” Sokka asked, exacerbated.

Without looking up, Zuko replied, “What would I possibly be kidding about right now?” Sokka made his way to a desk chair beside his Firelord. He fell into it dramatically, causing Zuko to finally look up.

“This room is a _mess_ ,” Sokka started. He picked up the first stack of papers he could find. “Are these even related? I see several pages outlining the Fire Nation school curriculum standards, directly beneath that is a document detailing a universal currency, and under that is a three page letter from Iroh that I don’t think you’ve read. How do you ever know where anything was put? Can you even find anything in this room?” Zuko said nothing, clearly too tired to participate actively in a conversation that he felt was unnecessary criticism. He sighed sharply and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

“Why are you so busy? I’ve never seen you have this much work. Did something happen?” Sokka asked, noticing that Zuko had deep bags under his eyes. They were so pronounced that you could see the left one under his scar.

“...Nothing happened. This is actually pretty normal. I’m not great at organizing so it takes longer than it should, but this is an average amount of work,” Zuko finally responded. He was caught off guard that Sokka had no idea how much effort his job required. Sokka stared at Zuko as if he could find the answers in his face.

“You’ve never had this much to do. This is at least triple the load you normally have when I’ve seen you,” Sokka stated, rummaging through several stacks of paper.

“Yeah I would get as much as I could get done the week before you would show up. You weren’t coming here to watch me work. You were coming to spend time with me. So I would only do what was absolutely necessary while you were here. But...now you work here. So I don’t do that anymore,” Zuko managed to explain.

“Oh…” Sokka muttered, surprised. “I wish you had told me. I could have helped.”

“But that wouldn’t have been fun. You weren’t here to work,” Zuko added.

“That’s stupid. I can make anything fun. You know I don’t care what we do. I just like being around you,” Sokka said, the words exiting his mouth before his brain had time to process them. He had shocked himself by admitting that and it sent a jolt of lighting through his stomach. He swallowed. “Anyway, I’m here now so you’re gonna let me help.” Sokka picked up a pad of paper and a pen, handed it to Zuko, and pointed behind him. “Here. I want you to go sit on the couch over there and make a list of everything you need to get done off the top of your head. Separate them into three categories: things that need to be done within 24 hours, 1 week, and the month. I’m gonna start organizing this mess so that you can find what you need instead of wasting time looking for things.”

Zuko was so tired he couldn’t have argued with Sokka if he tried so he followed the instructions without hesitation. They were only working separately for ten minutes when Sokka turned around and saw Zuko dead asleep on the couch, pen and pad still in hand, in a position that screamed discomfort. He chuckled under his breath and took a break so that he could help the sleeping Firelord. He grabbed a blanket that had been draped over the couch and put it on top of Zuko, causing him to hum softly. It vibrated throughout his body and made Sokka’s heart flutter. Sokka did his best to help Zuko reposition without waking him. He was about to walk away when he felt Zuko’s hand grab his lightly and squeeze. Sokka looked at their hands and then back up at Zuko who’s eyes were still closed. A smile betrayed Sokka who was grateful Zuko couldn’t see his face flush red. Sokka paused.

Nope! This was not going to happen. Zuko was his best friend and _now_ his employer. He was just confused. Maybe he was tired? Perhaps the spice from the eggroll was getting to him, causing his face to burn, hours later. Sokka slowly removed his hand and turned around, getting back to the task at hand.

He continued to work for several hours. The job had been difficult but he didn’t mind. Organizing was relaxing to him, it was something he enjoyed. About a half hour before the sun was due to rise, Sokka finished, incredibly satisfied with himself. He took one last look at Zuko, then tried to shake off the warm ball growing in his stomach as he shuffled off to his bedroom.

\----------------

Zuko woke with fresh rays of sunlight peeking through the window and landing on his face. He jolted awake. He couldn’t believe he had fallen asleep. He still had so much work left to do! Zuko looked around the room and froze. He was no longer surrounded by piles of paperwork. The room was...clean. He was surprised by the amount of space in the office, failing to recall another time he thought it wasn’t too small.

Zuko grounded his body and stood, making his way to the desk that held neatly stacked parchment. Each section had a note on top. The first pile was labeled “file me”, the second said “approve me...or not”, the third read “inspect further”, the fourth was “needs a reply”, and the final stack said “URGENT!!” and it had a drawing of a face screaming which made Zuko laugh.

Sokka had organized...everything. Zuko’s heart started pounding hard in his chest. He felt...well, he felt relief for the first time in a while. But there was something more. There was something heavy inside him that he couldn’t think about too long without feeling the urge to cry and Zuko simply didn’t have time for that. He thought maybe he could talk about it in therapy but changed his mind immediately because he was just...happy. There’s no need to waste time talking about being happy.

Zuko was about to leave the office when his eye caught a single paper sitting by itself behind the piles. He picked it up and started laughing again. Sokka had drawn another terrible picture. This time it was a stick figure of Zuko lying on the couch with an “x” over each eye and his arm draped over his forehead. Next to the figure, Sokka had written, “I’m cutting you off at 8 pm from now on. You’re burning the candle at both ends. Let me help.”

Zuko pulled the drawing to his chest and smiled. He left the office failing to wipe the grin off his face. Sokka’s drawing, as usual, was perhaps the worst art he’d ever seen. That didn’t stop it from now being the most important thing Zuko owned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much! If you wanna follow me on tumblr @ https://www.tumblr.com/blog/honeybunchesofotey :)


	3. The Smell of Sandalwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is nothing more attractive than a man who cares deeply about your mental health. PANIC ATTACK WARNING!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think therapy would be very good for Zuko. I'm not letting that go. But, also, for someone so intelligent, Sokka is pretty dumb.

Sokka was pleased with himself. He was the first person in five years to convince the Firelord to take breaks and accept help. Sokka would keep Zuko organized and Zuko would keep Sokka on task when they worked together. Zuko eventually moved Sokka into his royal office permanently because it was too irritating going back and forth. They worked side by side through the afternoon and then around 8 pm, Sokka would take Zuko by the hand and lead him elsewhere to keep him from continuing his work. They would sit by the turtleduck pond or explore the library. Sometimes they would venture into town because Sokka insisted that it was important for the people of the Fire Nation to see their Firelord as relatable. And what’s more relatable than walking down the streets, eating cheap food, and buying things you don’t need?

Sokka processed information in meetings better if he doodled, so every day he supplied Zuko with at least one more terrible drawing. They always put a smile on Zuko’s face and Sokka became addicted to the butterflies fluttering in his stomach each time he saw Zuko happy like that.

Sokka was constantly hungry so he snuck food everywhere he went. This worked out well for Zuko, who often forgot about meals entirely. Sokka would offer up half of whatever he had, pretending his eyes were bigger than his stomach and he accidentally took too much, when the truth was that Sokka had been taking extra on purpose because it was the only way to keep Zuko’s blood sugar up throughout the day.

Things were going well. Laws were being rewritten, the school curriculum was eliminating propaganda and increasing arts, and they were close to having a universal currency system. Sokka started thinking that nothing was ever going to go wrong.

Sokka’s instincts weren’t always correct, unfortunately. It had been a while since Zuko experienced a panic attack so Sokka was thrown off when he met up with Zuko in the palace library late one evening only to find him on the floor, curled in a ball. Sokka put the two mugs of cinnamon tea he was holding on a table and walked over to Zuko as calmly as he could, keeping two yards of distance between them.

“1, 2, or 3, Zu?” Sokka asked, keeping his voice gentle, non judgemental. They had come up with a system years ago for how Sokka could help during Zuko’s panic attacks. Sokka was scared of exacerbating the attack by doing too much or not enough so they decided to rank what Zuko thought he could need in the moment.

If Zuko asked for a 1, Sokka knew that Zuko couldn’t handle touch. The only thing he could do to help would be to talk him through it, offer support, and speak with kindness.

When Zuko needed a 2, Sokka would provide small touches on a knee or his back or even hold his hand. He wouldn’t provide so much touch that Zuko felt like he was suffocating, but instead talk to him and help manage his breathing.

Zuko never asked for a 3, but they still created the option just in case. If Zuko needed a 3, Sokka knew that, while words help, they weren’t going to be heard very well. He, instead, would need pressure, physical touch, that doesn’t end unless it’s on Zuko’s terms. There was almost no need to offer a 3, though, because in five years, Zuko’s never wanted one.

Sokka stared at Zuko, trying to get a read on his behavior. His left hand was on top of his ear, holding tight, digging into the skin around it. It was as if Zuko was trying to claw it off. Tears were pouring from Zuko, though he barely made a sound. His breath was short and piercing, he was hyperventilating. Sokka had realized Zuko hadn’t heard him so he asked, once again, if Zuko needed a 1, 2, or 3. No response was given.

Sokka crouched down so he was on the same level as Zuko and loudly said, “Zuko. Zu. Did you hear me?” Zuko froze, his eyes shot wide open, making it very clear that Zuko had only just been made aware of Sokka’s presence. Time stopped around them. Zuko couldn’t peel his eyes off of the Ambassador beside him, even with water obscuring his vision. He began to panic more, breathing in more quickly. It was such a small movement that Sokka almost missed it when Zuko held up the number 3 with his fingers.

“You want 3?” Sokka asked, confirming Zuko was absolutely sure this was what he wanted. Zuko nodded, his eyes fixed on Sokka. “Okay,” Sokka replied quietly and began to move. He positioned himself directly behind the Firelord and softly put his arms on him. When Zuko leaned into Sokka’s touch, Sokka allowed his pressure to increase. His arms were wrapped all the way around Zuko, his stomach pressed firmly against his back, and he wrapped his legs over Zuko’s, clinging to him like a koala goat. Sokka’s face was pressed against Zuko’s left hand which was still touching his head but Zuko’s breathing was not calming.

“Zu, breathe. Feel my breath and copy,” Sokka began. He waited but the Firelord was not getting the message. “Zuko? Can...can you hear me?” Sokka added. Zuko gave no response. Without letting go, Sokka moved his head to the other side of Zuko’s and tried again. “Zuko. Are you listening?” Finally, Zuko nodded. Relieved, Sokka repeated his instructions. Zuko wrapped his hands tightly around Sokka’s wrists and began to copy his breath. It didn’t take long for his body to calm down and relax into Sokka’s embrace.

When Zuko had stopped crying, Sokka felt comfortable asking, “Do you want me to let go?” There was a beat but Zuko shook his head. Sokka squeezed him a little tighter. Right up against his right ear, he then asked Zuko, “Are you ready to talk about it?” There was no hesitation this time when Zuko shook his head. Sokka had learned not to pry. Zuko always told him what was wrong, but Sokka had to learn patience, a skill that did not come easy to the Water Tribe Ambassador.  
Sokka let out a small sigh, trying to be comfortable with the silence. He decided to focus on Zuko, what Zuko needed, how he could help Zuko. Zuko’s hair was so soft, he smelled like sandalwood, sandalwood was Sokka’s new favorite scent, Zuko felt so good pressed up against him, Zuko, Zuko -

Sokka froze, eyes wide, pulling himself out of whatever it was that was going on inside him. No. Zuko is his _friend_ and his _friend_ needs his help and he would be a bad _friend_ if he didn’t focus all of his energy on doing whatever he could to help his _friend_ feel better.

As Sokka calmed down, he noticed a shift. Zuko was no longer holding himself up. Sokka tried to lean forward to see what was going on when he realized that Zuko had fallen asleep. Sokka laughed quietly. He went through his options but kept landing on the fact that the deal with Zuko picking option 3 earlier included _Zuko_ being the one who had to ask for the contact to end. Sokka couldn’t be the one to stop holding Zuko. With a feeling he pretended wasn’t relief, Sokka resigned himself to holding his best friend for as long as he was asleep. Sokka scooted them both back slightly so he could lean against the base of an armchair. Sokka would have moved Zuko’s hair out of the way of his nose, but he didn’t want to do anything to disturb his Firelord. Instead, he nuzzled his head softly onto Zuko’s shoulder and closed his eyes, shocked at how easily he was able to drift off to sleep.

\-------------

The feeling of the body in his arms tensing woke Sokka up the next morning. He opened his eyes, surprised to see that Zuko, clearly awake, hadn’t moved yet.

“Hey...good morning,” Sokka tested. He wasn’t sure that Zuko was okay yet. “Are you ready for me to let go?”

A beat went by before Zuko replied, “Yeah, you can let go.” Sokka dropped his arms, which were now sore and stiff. He stretched them out and started to try waking up his sleeping leg as Zuko stood and walked towards the table. He could tell Zuko was too embarrassed to make eye contact.

“Are you okay?” Sokka asked, unsure if it was the right question, but he was too tired to think properly. Zuko nodded, his face and neck turning a deep shade of scarlet.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Th...thank you. For. You know...being there,” Zuko was now only looking at Sokka’s forehead, trying to fool Sokka into thinking he was truly being looked at by Zuko. “I...um...I have therapy, actually. So, I should go. But...um...thank you,” Zuko picked up the two mugs that had been left behind the night before. In an instant, they were both steaming again. “Thank you for the tea. I really appreciate it. And...uh, I’ll see you later. I have to go.”

Zuko handed Sokka the second mug, turned around, and walked quickly out the door and around the corner. Sokka, still waking up, stared dumbly at the now empty door frame. Suddenly cold without Zuko there, Sokka wrapped his hands around the mug and began to drink without thinking.

“Spirits!” Sokka exclaimed with a burnt tongue. He blew on the tea, unmoving, enjoying the lingering smell of sandalwood now mixing with the cinnamon. He was glad Zuko wasn’t there to see the blush creeping across his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it! The next chapter will be longer and the favor will be returned.


	4. Steam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just two bros, chillin, sleeping peacefully through the night. Just friends doing friendly things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, we're in love with our best friends but we're also idiots. This is one of those times.

Zuko knew that Sokka was sick. As usual, Sokka vehemently denied that his body experienced weakness and was completely ignoring his symptoms. Zuko had noticed a runny nose, some coughing, and a slight paleness on the Water Tribe Ambassador but nothing so serious that he needed to intervene. Sokka was an adult and if he wanted to take time off to get better, he was allowed. It had been offered, in fact, but unsurprisingly Sokka had declined, claiming that he wasn’t sick. This didn’t stop Zuko from bringing an extra large cup of white pomegranate tea to their first meeting that morning.

Zuko placed the cup in front of the empty seat to his right and waited for everyone to gather and settle so Zuko could begin discussing financial allotments to the Fire Nation school fine arts budget. Moments before Zuko was to get everyone’s attention, Sokka stumbled in, his symptoms clearly worse than the day before. His nose was beet red and cracked. His lips were broken, eyes glazed over, and skin more pale than Zuko ever remembered seeing. As Sokka took the empty seat on Zuko’s left, Zuko could feel the fever radiating off of Sokka’s skin. Zuko took the cup from his right and set it down in front of his Ambassador.

Zuko looked at Sokka, trying to hide the worried expression on his face, and Sokka returned a pained smile. This didn’t reassure the Firelord that his friend was okay, but he didn’t have time to tend to that issue at this moment, so he began the meeting.

An hour later, once plans were firmly set for the upcoming school year, Zuko dismissed the group and pretended to find something to busy him at his seat. Sokka had barely moved in the past hour and wasn’t in a hurry to leave. As he felt Zuko’s eyes boring a hole in his head, Sokka sighed heavily.

“I’m fine,” he lied. The sickness was audible.

“You’re insufferable,” Zuko sighed, putting his hand to Sokka’s forehead. “And you’re warm. Almost firebender warm.”

“Ooooh, thank you, Zuuu,” Sokka sang. Zuko chuckled.

“That was not a compliment. You’re sick. Please go back to sleep. We can handle things without you,” Zuko explained, standing and reaching a hand out to help Sokka stand.

“You would crumble without me!” Sokka joked, hand still in Zuko’s. “Besides, I’m fine. I don’t need -”

On cue, Sokka’s eyes closed and his body went limp. Zuko did his best to catch him but stumbled back a bit at the sudden extra weight in his arms. “Agni,” Zuko muttered before calling out to the nearest guard. “Help! We need help!”

The two men were instantly surrounded by three palace guards and two Kyoshi Warriors. Their once tense expressions faded when they assessed that there was no real danger to be found. At the Firelord’s direction, two of the palace guards helped carry Sokka to Zuko’s bedchamber. The guards paused, confused. “My room is closer,” Zuko explained, and the men shrugged it off and began walking.

Once they had lain Sokka in the bed, Zuko rattled off more instructions. “He needs fluids. Right? And soup! Soup is a fluid. But it’s also food. It’ll help. He needs to eat. We should take his temperature. Medicine! He needs medicine…” Zuko grabbed a washcloth from his bathroom, wet it down, and began making it steam. He placed it on Sokka’s forehead and looked up to see the two guards still there and a tad befuddled. “You can go get that now!..Please,” Zuko added and the men hastily turned to fetch the items on Zuko’s impromptu list.

Zuko sat on the bed beside Sokka, patting his face with the towel as Sokka’s eyes opened slowly. When he remembered what happened, he jolted up, trying to stand. Zuko grabbed his wrist to keep him on the bed and Sokka looked at Zuko expectantly.

“You’re okay,” Zuko reassured him. “But you passed out after that meeting. So you’re taking the day off. Tomorrow, too, probably, and don’t bother arguing with me because that’s an order. You’re going to stay here and you’re going to get better because I really don’t want to do this job alone.” Sokka softened and laughed quietly. Without any fight, he allowed himself to sink back down into the bed, giving in to the comfort surrounding him. Zuko’s eyes wandered over Sokka’s face, feeling his shoulders relaxing from the tension he hadn’t realized was there. A flush spread over his face.

“Oh!” Zuko pulled himself out of it. “You shouldn’t have to wear work clothes when you’re sick.” Zuko let go of Sokka and jumped off the bed, making his way to his dresser. He rifled through the bottom drawer for a moment before collecting what he needed and bringing it over to Sokka. His hand stretched out in front of him as he handed Sokka the folded fabric. With a beat of hesitation, Sokka reached out and accepted the items.

“What is this?” Sokka asked, confused.

“Pajamas,” Zuko answered. Sokka unfolded the fabric, revealing their shapes. He held the maroon shirt in one hand and the chocolate pants in the other. “There’s no use going all the way back to your bedroom just to get pajamas and we’re the same height so these should fit.” Zuko turned to close the bottom drawer now that his hands were empty and, without consciously thinking to, Sokka brought the clothes to his nose and inhaled, a smile threatening to reveal itself. He recognized the fragrance. Sandalwood. Sokka couldn’t help but think of how Zuko was consistent in his choice of scents when Zuko turned around suddenly, prompting him to slam his arms down to prevent being seen sniffing the Firelord’s clothes like a lunatic.

Zuko stared at Sokka momentarily before saying, “They’re clean. I promise.”

“Oh,” Sokka stammered, embarrassed he’d been caught. “I..I believe you.”

“I’m going to check with the guards,” Zuko explained, making his way to the bedroom door. “They’re supposed to be bringing a few things from the kitchen and the apothecary. You change and I’ll come back in to check on you in a minute.” Zuko left, closing the door behind him.

Within 15 minutes, everything Zuko had asked for had arrived on a tray. He gathered it in his hands and walked back in his bedroom only to find Sokka changed, beneath the covers, and fast asleep. Zuko smiled and put the tray down on a table by the bed. He didn’t want to wake his sick friend. Besides, he could easily reheat things later when Sokka was feeling better.

Zuko informed his staff that he would be working from his bedroom for the foreseeable future, canceling all in person meetings, then took a seat on the armchair by the window. He watched the turtleducks swim in the pound for a moment before getting started on his stack of work. As he made his way through the papers, he couldn’t help but realize that the only reason his workload is so simple was due to the organizational skills of the Water Tribe Ambassador curled up in Fire Nation sheets.

\------------------

Night had fallen and Zuko was getting tired. Though he had allowed a nurse to come in periodically, Zuko had been the primary care person for Sokka. It hadn’t been hard work, per se, because Sokka slept through the majority of the day, but Zuko had used a great deal of mental, physical, and emotional energy making sure Sokka was still breathing and that his fever wasn’t out of control. Zuko had finally calmed himself down long enough to start getting sleepy when he heard Sokka moaning.

Zuko leapt to his feet and rushed to the bed. Sokka was shaking, soaked in sweat. Zuko put his hand to Sokka’s forehead and, getting alarmed, tried to wake his friend up. “Sokka?” Zuko said, placing his hand to the bare skin on Sokka’s upper arm. The shaking lessened significantly. Shocked at the occurrence, Zuko removed his hand only to watch Sokka start shaking again. His fever was spiking and he needed to sweat it out but he seemed like he was going to freeze. Zuko replaced his hand to slow Sokka down, once again and started considering what to do next.

He could stay like that all night. But he was uncomfortable and he was bound to fall asleep eventually. He didn’t want to sleep with his body half off the bed. But Zuko knew he couldn’t relax until Sokka did and that meant that Zuko couldn’t move his arm. He could...get in bed? No. No. He couldn’t do that. It would be way too weird! How would he explain that if Sokka woke up? Zuko was resolved to simply stay awake all night when Sokka, still asleep, put his hand on top of Zuko’s. He could feel Sokka trembling and couldn’t take it anymore. Swiftly, trying not to shake the bed, Zuko climbed in behind the Ambassador and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him tight to his chest. Zuko could feel Sokka’s body sigh with relief in his arms and Zuko smiled, placing his forehead on Sokka’s shoulder.

Zuko’s natural body heat was helping Sokka through the misery of a fever, his body had stopped shaking entirely. This sparked an unconventional idea in Zuko but he figured it couldn’t hurt so he gave it a try. The firebender took a few deep breaths and slowly raised the temperature in his own body. Zuko was so controlled and slow that, at first, he thought it wasn’t working...until he saw steam. The sweat created by Sokka’s fever was turning to steam beneath Zuko’s touch and it was evaporating off of his body. Zuko started laughing silently, unable to process what was happening at first and held his friend tighter. An hour went by and Zuko had noticed the steam start to dissipate so he returned his body temperature to normal and quickly examined Sokka. His fever was...gone. Zuko couldn’t believe it!

He considered letting go of Sokka and getting back in the armchair. Sokka was fine now so he should give him the bed and let him sleep through the night comfortably. But what if the fever comes back and Zuko sleeps through it? Then Sokka would lie there suffering while Zuko had no idea. He couldn’t let his friend feel that terrible again and not _do_ anything about it! Zuko’s eyes began to close as he was making up his mind.

\--------------

Zuko saw Sokka’s body stir around noon the next day. He set his work aside and was already offering Sokka a steaming bowl of soup before Sokka could take stock of his surroundings.

“You’ve got to eat,” Zuko pressed, when Sokka was hesitant to take the bowl. With a smirk intended to tell Zuko he was annoying, Sokka grabbed the soup and began to eat slowly. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah. I am, actually,” Sokka responded in between bites. Zuko smiled, going back to his work. “I can help. What are you working on over there?” Sokka started to get out of bed but Zuko held his hand up to get his friend to stop. Sokka froze.

“You’re going to spend _at least_ the rest of the day in bed. You have no idea how sick you were yesterday. I’m not going to let you get that bad again,” Zuko said. His words were stern and...loving. He surprised himself. But Zuko shook it off, convincing himself that he would have helped _any_ of his friends exactly how he’d helped Sokka. He told himself that _all_ of his friends would have probably fit perfectly in his arms the way Sokka had and he was sure that _each_ of them would have looked just as good wearing Zuko’s maroon sleep shirt. Sokka couldn’t be any different.

Sokka cut off Zuko’s train of thought by asking, “Where are we, exactly? I don’t recognize this room.”

“It’s my room,” Zuko replied.

“But,” Sokka rebutted. “But I’ve been to your room. This isn’t it. It’s much...smaller.”

“Yeah,” Zuko cleared his throat and sat forward. “It’s a lot smaller. It’s technically a guest room...I moved?” Sokka cocked his head, probing Zuko for more information with his eyes. Zuko sighed. “I was living in the official Firelord chambers for years. There was far too much space in there. Even with a partner AND kids living in there with me, it was always going to be too much. But...it also reminded me of my father. Everywhere I turned, I saw him. It got to be incredibly difficult to sleep through the night. My therapist suggested I change rooms. I thought she was crazy at first. I’m the Firelord and I am supposed to do my job and live in the Firelord’s chambers and conduct my business from the Throne Room and my personal feelings will not interfere...Except that’s dumb. Eventually, I realized she was right and I moved out. I couldn’t live in my childhood bedroom, either, for similar reasons. So...I moved here. And now I use those chambers as a guest room for...anyone really.”

“You chose it because of the turtleduck pond,” Sokka stated as if it were a fact.

Zuko chuckled, “Yeah. I guess I did.” He dropped his head and went back to work.

“Zu?” Sokka muttered.

“Yeah, Sokka?” Zuko responded without picking his head back up.

Sokka started at Zuko for a moment, unsure of what to say. _Thank you for holding me last night. I didn’t know how to ask you to do that._ No. _You didn’t have to take care of me. I’m an adult and I can take care of myself. You’re the Firelord. You don’t need to be worrying about the health of an Ambassador._ No. That wasn’t right. _Please hold me like that again…_ NO!

“Thanks,” Sokka settled on. It wasn’t enough but he knew it would get the point across.

Zuko looked up briefly and smiled, “Anytime.” Sokka returned to his soup.

\--------------

Zuko didn’t let Sokka go back to his bedroom that night. “You don’t realize how sick you got last night. I don’t think you should be alone,” Zuko had argued, though Sokka didn’t need much convincing.

“I don’t want to inconvenience you,” Sokka rebutted, hoping he didn’t just talk his way out of Zuko’s bed.

“You’re not,” Zuko stated plainly. “This chair is more comfortable than it looks. Sometimes I prefer to sleep here rather than in the bed.” Zuko was a terrible liar. He almost laughed at himself but managed to stifle the noise. Sokka decided to let him off the hook and ignored the comment, placing his head on the pillow. Zuko blew out the last remaining candle and they laid in silence as the moonlight danced through the curtains. Several moments went by and Zuko was just about to fall asleep when-

“Zuko?” Sokka said quietly. Zuko sat up immediately, trying to assess if something had gone wrong without his knowledge. His eyes adjusted and he looked at Sokka, whose eyes were still closed. “Zuko. I think my fever’s back.” Zuko was on his feet before Sokka managed to finish speaking. The firebender’s hand was placed lightly against his head.

“Are you sure?” Zuko asked.

“Yeah. I’m sure,” Sokka responded. Zuko hesitated. He didn’t want to take a chance and let Sokka start shaking like he had the night before. Zuko walked around to the other side of the bed and slowly sat next to Sokka. He let his body fall into place behind the other man and paused.

“Is this okay?” Zuko asked before wrapping his arms around Sokka. Sokka nodded softly and Zuko pulled him into a strong embrace. Zuko took Sokka’s temperature as best as he could from the bed and noticed that Sokka’s body was almost cool, the way it normally was before he had gotten sick. Zuko decided against asking Sokka why he’d lie about that but, instead, let himself enjoy another night clinging to his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's left comments or kudos! It means a lot. :) Thank you for reading!


	5. Sokka's Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When other people were learning to not harbor feelings for their best friend, Zuko studied the egg roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was directly inspired by an old post I saw on tumblr once of someone describing their terrible burrito.

They woke the next morning, tangled in each other. Both men tensed as they woke up. Zuko squeezed Sokka lightly and then released him, sitting up. He put his hand on Sokka’s forehead and smiled.

“Your temperature seems normal again. How do you feel?” Zuko asked, standing up. He walked to the dresser, picked up a brush, and started working on the tangled mop on his head. Sokka sat up without taking his eyes off of Zuko’s hair.

“I feel much better,” Sokka remarked. “And I’m _not_ just saying that so you’ll let me go back to work.” The friends laughed. Sokka stood up and started to collect his work clothes that he had discarded days ago. “I should go...I need to change. And shower. Th...thanks, Zuko. You were...Thank you.” He looked up to make eye contact with the Firelord who smiled softly in return.

“You should hurry. You don’t want to be late after playing hooky for two days. Your boss wouldn’t like that very much,” Zuko joked and Sokka made his way out the door and to the hall. He was beaming. He felt great but he couldn’t quite put his finger on _why_. All he knew for sure was that he was never returning the Fire Nation pajamas currently clinging to his body.

\-------------

Late that afternoon, Zuko was working in his royal office when at 6 pm, he heard Sokka come in. _Right on schedule_ , Zuko thought. Sokka had planned on meeting him there after grabbing some food and then they were going to go over the beginnings of the Restoration Project that would bring unity to the four nations. Naturally, Zuko was eager to begin with the Water Tribe. When he looked up at Sokka, his Ambassador seemed...angry.

“Agni, Sokka, are you okay?” Zuko asked, standing. Sokka walked further into the room, taking a seat to Zuko’s right, and let his body slump over itself.

“Uugghhh. No. I just had the worst day ever. I swear,” Sokka whined, his arm draped dramatically over his eyes. Zuko sat back down and scooted closer to his friend than he had originally planned. “As Firelord, are you able to kick a business out of the Fire Nation for being _terrible_?”

“I..um..I don't know. Probably. Why? What happened?” Zuko asked, his reaction softening with Sokka’s.

“Okay. So, I’m feeling better today, right?” Sokka started, Zuko nodded. “I decided there was no way to better celebrate surviving what should have been a fatal illness than by going to get a giant egg roll from Flames.” Zuko rolled his eyes, a smile forming in the corner of his mouth. “I get it to go because two days of staring at the turtleduck pond for two days and not being able to feel the breeze on my neck was _torture_ , so I brought the egg roll back to the palace, sat by the pond, and began to eat. I noticed that they had hired someone new and hesitated at first, but then I thought that it wasn’t fair of me to not give someone a chance just because I didn’t know them.”

“How noble of you,” Zuko said through a smirk.

“No. No, I realize now that I have to follow my gut. Sokka’s instincts are never wrong and I should stop doubting myself,” Sokka said, puffing his chest out slightly before continuing. “I get my usual, tip _heavily_ , and leave. So, I’m here. The sun is shining, the turtleducks are chirping, and everything is perfect. I get out the egg roll and start eating. _Disaster_. A _monster_ created this dish. A _traitor_. Taste bud hater. _Evil_ person. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. I’m a changed man, Zuko.”

Zuko’s face was already turning red from trying to hold in his laughter. “What was wrong with the egg roll, Sokka?”

“The ingredients that were inside the wrap were placed side by side in zones. They didn’t mix them together before they put them into the shell! It was impossible to notice before I took my first bite. I pulled away from the remainder only to realize my mouth was full of wrap and cabbage. That was it! Nothing else! I thought that _certainly_ had to be a mistake so I went in for another bite. This time, instead of cabbage, I started drowning in shredded carrot. Each ingredient was completely by itself! It was horrible, Zuko! I regretted every bite. I thought that at least there would be a section at the end where I would be rewarded with pork. At least I could end things on a high note. But, no. They had the _audacity_ to put the pork in the _middle_. I had to suffer through the second half of that egg roll,” Sokka had begun pacing in the room, Zuko’s eyes following him wherever he went. “Their heads are so thick even Toph couldn’t bend them! They must be blood related to Momo, because no human has this capacity for stupidity!!”

Once Zuko was certain Sokka was done monologuing, Zuko held his hand up and asked, “Why didn’t you eat it with a fork? After your first bite, you knew it was made incorrectly. Why didn’t you get a fork, mix it all together, and eat it in bites?” Sokka froze in his step, turning just his face to meet Zuko’s. His jaw dropped slightly.

“You wanted me...to eat...my egg roll... _like a salad_?!” Sokka exclaimed.

Leaning back in his chair, Zuko replied, “Wouldn’t that have been better than “suffering”? You also could have simply _not_ eaten the rest.”

“I’m not a quitter, Zuko. Only quitters quit things,” Sokka stated, enunciating his words intentionally.

“Clearly,” Zuko said, unable to hide his laughter anymore.

“I’m never eating egg rolls again!” Sokka declared.

“Liar,” Zuko said, pointing at the Water Tribe Ambassador.

“Okay. Well, I’m never going to Flames again,” Sokka corrected, throwing his hands in the air.

“Liar,” Zuko stated, once again, a smile now permanently glued to his face.

“Okay...well...I’m still upset! I’m going to bed. Can we work on this tomorrow?” Sokka asked, winded, cupping his face in his hands.

“Sure, bud, we can pick this up tomorrow,” Zuko said softly. Sokka thanked him, turned, and left for his room. Zuko considered working on the Restoration Project a bit without Sokka but then a better idea popped into his brain.

\---------------

Three hours later, Zuko knocked on Sokka’s bedroom door. A few moments passed and there was no response, so Zuko knocked again.

“Coming!” a voice called out, barely audible. Sokka opened the door, eyes red from being rubbed, and hair a mess. Zuko inspected him and realized that Sokka must have come back to his room and immediately fallen asleep. Sokka hadn’t even managed to change into sleep clothes. Zuko chuckled softly. Sokka, not understanding what was happening asked, “Zu, what are you doing? It’s the middle of the night.”

“It’s 9 pm, Sokka,” Zuko stated, his eyebrow furrowing in confusion. Sokka was clearly shocked at this news but he opened the door wide enough for his Firelord to enter.

“Oh,” Sokka replied. “Do come in, then.” Zuko entered the room and set a tray down on the table by the couch. “What’s that?”

“I felt bad,” Zuko explained. “I know how much you normally love the egg rolls you get from Flames. So, I can understand how disappointing today must have been. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try and give you something a little closer to what you were expecting earlier.” Zuko took the lid off the tray to reveal a plate with a dozen egg rolls steaming on top. Sokka brought his hands to his mouth and gasped.

“Zuko!” he exclaimed. “These look homemade! I didn’t know you could cook.” He picked an egg roll off the tray and blew on it in an effort to cool it down.

“Oh, I can’t,” Zuko said, his face turning red. “But I did mix the filler ingredients together so it has to be better than what you had several hours ago.” Sokka took a bite and closed his eyes. Zuko could have sworn he heard his friend hum.

“Tui and La, this is really good,” Sokka revealed. Zuko smiled. “How did you know how to make these?” Sokka continued stuffing his face.

“My mom,” Zuko replied. “It was the one thing she made that she insisted on doing herself. I would help when I was little, but I was never any good. Honestly, I spent most of my time tonight hoping I could create something edible.”

Sokka pulled Zuko into a hug. “It’s perfect. My day has officially been fixed!” Zuko felt his entire body flush in Sokka’s arms. Zuko hoped that wasn’t something Sokka would notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, thank you for reading. It really means a lot! :)


	6. I Build My Home In People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the circumstances "force" you share a bed with your best friend. There's just no other choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I know it took a little longer than anticipated to get this chapter out. I'm a teacher and I'm going back to work next week so I had more to do this week than I originally thought I would.

A few months into Sokka’s term as Water Tribe Ambassador, Zuko woke early to prepare the council room for Sokka’s presentation on the Restoration Project. Zuko set down two large cups of tea, a morning ritual for the pair, and diligently laid out scrolls in front of each council chair for members to look over as Sokka spoke. This was the Ambassador’s first time presenting to a large group and Zuko was aware that this was a major weak spot for his friend. He hoped that handing out paperwork to Sokka’s audience would avert their gaze and calm the Ambassador.

In an attempt to make him more comfortable, the Firelord abandoned his official seat for a seat to the left. His usual seat was slightly higher end and it gave its user instant authority, which Zuko hoped would ease Sokka’s nerves so that he could articulate his thoughts in a more confident manner. Zuko looked over his outline once more and began sipping his tea as a few chronically early council members entered the room. Zuko smiled politely as the others made small talk and began familiarizing themselves with the subject at hand.

Sokka entered the council room, immediately making his way towards Zuko. The man was clearly nervous, his hands trembling ever so slightly, but Zuko was impressed with the level of control Sokka displayed. Sokka put his scrolls on the table in front of them and turned to greet Zuko.

“You’re going to do great, Sokka,” Zuko reassured his friend before Sokka was able to say anything. He watched the Ambassador take a small, deep breath, and smiled momentarily before being replaced with a furrowed brow.

“Switch seats with me,” Sokka insisted, rising to his feet. Zuko shifted his gaze up, taken aback at the request.

“No you should have my chair today. You’re in charge of this meeting so you should get the better seat,” Zuko began to explain, but Sokka was already switching their items on the table. He leaned down so that his face was inches away from Zuko.

“No, Zu, seriously. Switch,” Sokka said, his voice low. A look of confusion was frozen across Zuko’s face but he chose to comply with his friend’s wishes instead of arguing further. The men sat in their usual seats. Zuko held his tea in his hands and cocked his head to the left as he watched Sokka finish getting ready for the start of the meeting.

Why was Sokka so insistent? The only explanation Zuko could think of was that Zuko was right handed and Sokka was left handed. Perhaps Sokka was preventing their arms bumping? That would explain Sokka’s seat preference in meetings. No. Not today, though. Sokka wouldn’t be scribing today, he was presenting. Besides, Sokka never seemed to mind their arms fighting for space when they worked in their office. They often spent hours side by side, Zuko writing up documentation and Sokka drawing his awful sketches, with their elbows bumping. Now that Zuko was thinking about it, Sokka _always_ sat to Zuko’s right when they were working in their office.

Zuko decided firmly that the issue of dominant hands was _not_ Sokka’s reason for insisting that he sit to Zuko’s left. At the moment, however, that was Zuko’s entire list of possibilities. The Firelord couldn’t help but think that Sokka’s insistence was intentional, regardless of whether Zuko knew _why_. Leaning in a little closer to better hear Sokka as he began his presentation (very well, he might add), Zuko made a mental note to start paying better attention to Sokka’s seating choices.

\--------------------

Zuko famously could _not_ let things go, so he wasn’t surprised by his impulse to keep a running log of Sokka’s positions around him over the next few weeks. He was certain there was a pattern, he just didn’t know how to broach this subject with Sokka. Though Zuko was sure his theory was correct, there was no real reason to bring it up just yet.

They walked down the halls of the palace, dinner in hand, on their way to spend the evening eating beside the turtleduck pond. Zuko noted that Sokka was walking on the right hand side. Interesting. As they rounded the corner, they noticed a counselor on his way to ask Zuko for clarification on a deadline. As the three met in the middle, Sokka hung back momentarily only to catch back up with Zuko, standing to his left. The Firelord’s mouth opened slightly to acknowledge the change but was cut off by the counselor’s questions. Frustrated by the inconvenience, Zuko gave the man the clarification he sought but only briefly showed visual cues that he had been listening. Zuko was finding it impossible to take his eyes off his Ambassador.

Once satisfied, the counselor thanked Zuko for his time and made his way down the hall in the opposite direction. Sokka, clearly waiting for Zuko to start walking first, raised his brow. Hesitantly, Sokka muttered, “What are you looking at?”

Zuko wrapped his fingers around Sokka’s wrist and began pulling him forward. “Come on,” he commanded. When they walked past the exit for the pond, Sokka’s curiosity got the better of him.

“Zuko, where are we going?” Sokka asked. Before Zuko was able to answer, Sokka had received his answer. Zuko entered Sokka’s bedroom, placed his uneaten meal on the dresser in the corner, turned to Sokka, and locked eyes. Sokka closed the door behind him.

“Wh...what?” Sokka finally broke the ice. He couldn’t read the expression on the man in front of him. Zuko wasn’t mad...or upset… There was something calm in Zuko’s unreadable face but Sokka wasn’t close enough to notice that Zuko’s heart was beating just as fast as his. It looked like Zuko was studying Sokka’s face, as if it held the answers to any questions he didn’t want to ask out loud.

“Why are you doing that?” Zuko asked, his words barely audible. Sokka, setting down his own dish, stepped closer to Zuko.

“Doing what?” Sokka countered. For the life of him, Sokka had no idea what his friend was talking about.

Zuko lifted his hands to his head and let them fall dramatically. His eyes were stuck on Sokka as he said with exasperation, “You keep switching sides.”

Shocked, Sokka felt the confusion melt off his face. “Oh...I, um…” Sokka started, trying to come up with a good enough reason for Zuko to have noticed something so odd. He closed his eyes and exhaled sharply.

“I’ve been watching you for weeks,” Zuko admitted. “Don’t lie to me.”

“You’ve been...watching me?” Sokka asked, his interest now peaked. Sokka did his best to wipe a stupid smile off his face. That comment shouldn’t have made his heart beat faster. Zuko, however, had stopped noticing Sokka’s behavior and had begun pacing back and forth. He looked like he was solving a puzzle.

“In every meeting we attend, you sit on my left. I started noticing a few weeks ago when I offered you my usual seat during that meeting you ran. I thought it would be respectful and calm your nerves if I gave you the better chair. When you declined so insistently, I couldn’t help but wonder why. Maybe you didn’t think you deserved to sit in the Firelord’s chair? So, I put that theory to the test the next day and I switched the chairs before you showed up. You didn’t even notice! You sat through a two hour meeting, completely oblivious to my actions. At that point, I knew it wasn’t the chair you were declining, it was the _location_ ,” Zuko rambled. He stopped briefly to point at Sokka. The look on Sokka’s face confirmed for Zuko that he was onto something so he continued.

“I started taking a mental list of where you chose to be throughout the day. Every single meeting, you’re always on my _left_. When we sit by the turtleduck pond, you wait for me to sit and then you place yourself on my _right_. In our office, you _consistently_ sit on my right. We bump elbows, I offer to switch, but you always decline. Whenever we’re interrupted, you stand up, walk behind me, and pretend you need to fetch something on my left, but you never actually pick anything up! Then when they leave, you make your way back to your seat. I wasn’t totally sure until just now in the hallway with the counselor. You have a specific side of my body that you choose to stand on that flips depending on if we’re with others or alone!...Why?” Zuko paused, breathless, and stared at Sokka, awaiting his response.

“I...well, I...um,” Sokka stammered, trying to peel his eyes away from Zuko’s gaze and failing. His entire body felt like it was seized, cursed to stand there for the remainder of his life.

Zuko’s posture softened. He released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. His voice, quiet once again, whispered, “You know, don’t you?”

“What do I know?” Sokka responded when his body finally gave him permission to speak again.

“You’ve…” Zuko started. His face flushed red and his eyes began to water. Zuko suddenly became very aware of the fact that he didn’t know what to do with his hands, unable to remember normal hand behavior. He settled on holding his hands together in front of his chest, his fingers fiddling with each other. Zuko took a deep breath to attempt to control the tears welling up in his eyes. “You’ve figured out I’m losing the hearing in my left ear.” Zuko stared at his hands.

Sokka paused for a moment, unsure how best to help. He eventually settled on the truth. “Yeah. I noticed several months ago.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Zuko asked, getting his breath under control.

“You weren’t ready to tell me. If you felt comfortable talking about it, you would have. I...I didn’t want to rush you,” Sokka said gently. He took another step towards Zuko and added, “Are you ready to let me know what’s going on?” Zuko bit his bottom lip and nodded, his gaze still on his fingers.

“After my banishment, I really stopped taking care of myself for a while,” Zuko began. “Uncle tried to help as best he could but there’s only so much you can do for a 13 year old who won’t allow anyone to touch him. As a result, the burn got _really_ infected. Much of my vision had already been compromised by the initial attack but the infection caused me to go almost completely blind. I can see gray outlines out of my left eye but nothing else. It’s unfixable.” As Zuko explained, he started to unconsciously trace his scar lightly with his fingers. He caught himself and thrust his hands back together, holding his fingers so tight they began to lose color.

“But the infection spread before I was willing to treat it and heal myself,” Zuko continued. “It traveled to my left ear drum. I lost about half of my ability to hear from my left ear by the time the infection was healed. It wasn’t what I used to have, but with the ability to see outlines and still 50% of my hearing, I was able to get by and fake it well enough that most people didn’t notice a significant impairment. At first, I started to overcompensate with anger...as you likely remember. Recently, though, my hearing loss has increased. The doctors were afraid this would happen and their fears came true.”

Zuko made his way to the couch in front of the bed and sat, putting his hands on his face. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to admit, “I’m sure I’m going to go completely deaf in my left ear. I’m still...coming to terms with it. Being here has been okay, though, because I never feel like I have to fear for my life. Between the palace guards, the Kyoshi warriors...and _you_ , I’ve always had people around me and I’m learning to accept their support. That’s made this easier.” Sokka waited for Zuko to stop talking and slowly made his way to the couch, as well. Out of habit, Sokka sank into the spot on Zuko’s right.

They sat in silence together for a minute before Zuko lifted his head and asked, “Why were you doing that, though? What was the purpose?”

“Honestly?” Sokka asked. Zuko nodded. “You seemed really scared. At first, I just tried to make the effort to stand on your right. Always. I knew you could hear me better from there and I thought that was most important. But then I saw the way you flinched whenever someone came up on your left but didn’t announce themselves. I know you thought it was subtle, but it wasn’t. Not..not to me, at least. I started taking that spot so no one else could. If I was always on your _left_ when others were around, it cut off anyone else’s ability to startle you.” Sokka looked at Zuko whose face was, once again, unreadable. Sokka paused for a moment before feeling the need to explain further.

“And it _worked_ ,” Sokka said. “You stopped jumping when people entered the room. You were able to relax more which caused you to do a better job as Firelord. You had been holding back. I don’t even think you noticed but you were. I...I wanted you to know that, no matter what, I supported you.” Zuko’s mouth hung wide open, eyes trained on the Ambassador, tears flowing like rivers down his cheeks.

“But I’m not stopping,” Sokka continued, now confident that he wasn’t going to be yelled at by Zuko. Sokka placed his hand lightly on top of Zuko’s knee. “Just because you know what I’m doing now doesn’t mean I’m going to stop doing it. You’re supported, Zuko. I know you have a hard time accepting that sometimes. You want to help yourself, and that’s fine. That’s why I didn’t make you talk things through before I knew you were ready, but I support you and I’m not gonna stop. You’ll just have to deal with-”

Sokka was interrupted by arms thrust around his neck. Zuko buried his face in Sokka’s shoulder and held on tight. As soon as the shock of the shift wore off, Sokka exhaled, put his left hand on Zuko’s head, and wrapped his right arm firmly around his waist. A smile started to spread across Sokka’s face as he realized that the Firelord in his arms was now opening up completely to the affection that Sokka was freely giving. They held each other silently until Zuko had stopped crying. Sokka’s hand stroked the back of Zuko’s head and he bent down to speak into Zuko’s right ear.

“Hey, Zu,” Sokka began. Zuko nodded to acknowledge he was listening. “Do you still want to go to the turtleduck pond? Or would you rather stay here?” Sokka released his grip as he felt Zuko sliding into an upright position once again. Zuko wiped his eyes and smiled softly.

“Here?” Zuko responded, voice shaking. “Let’s stay here.” Sokka smiles and stands to grab their dinners and comes back. Zuko takes his dish from Sokka’s hands and starts laughing. “I should probably fire my guards,” he added, clearing his throat.

“What?! Why?” Sokka exclaimed before he took a seat.

“Because they couldn’t tell I was losing my hearing when _you_ could,” Zuko said, turning to look at his food.

“Tui and La, Zu, don’t fire anybody,” Sokka followed suit and began mixing his dinner together. “You did an excellent job of hiding it. They would have needed to study your behavior really closely to have picked up on anything.” Sokka felt his face and neck flush hot. If he had looked up, he would have noticed Zuko’s face matched. Zuko chuckled to himself quietly, trying not to smile.

“So, you _don’t_ think I should fire anyone?” Zuko asked, to confirm.

“No, I really don’t,” Sokka answered.

Zuko paused, picked his head up, and uttered, “Huh?”

“I said ‘no, don’t fire anyone’,” Sokka offered.

Zuko shook his head, a smirk beginning to form on his lips. “Sorry. What?”

Trying again, Sokka elevated his volume, “I said, ‘DO NOT FIRE THEM’.”

“Agni, Sokka,” Zuko said, a smile betraying him. “You’re on my good side. There’s no need to yell.” Sokka’s jaw dropped. He playfully punched Zuko on the shoulder. The Firelord began openly laughing at his own wit. Sokka joined.

“Okay, jerkbender,” Sokka teased. “I’m glad you’re joking about it.” The two shared a smile through quiet laughter and returned to their dinner.

\----------------

They talked and laughed for hours into the night. It was nearing midnight and Zuko could feel his energy leaving without the sun to fuel him, but Zuko had agreed to let Sokka take a jab at drawing him. He started to doze off just before Sokka finished.

“Okay, I’m done,” Sokka declared, jolting Zuko back to an upright position. He looked over the parchment to see an inking stick figure sitting on a poorly drawn piece of furniture. There was a blob of something that must be hair on the figure’s head and a second blob obscuring one side of the face. That was the only indication that Sokka had in fact drawn Zuko. He smiled anyway.

“It’s good, Sokka. You’re getting better,” Zuko lied, his eyes heavy. Sokka laughed.

“No, I’m not,” Sokka rebutted.

“No, you’re really not,” Zuko agreed. “But I still really like it.” Zuko took the drawing from Sokka’s hands and held it up to get a better look. “I’m keeping this.”

“It’s all yours,” Sokka said with a yawn, his eyes making his way to a clock. “Oh. Wow. It’s past midnight.”

“Oh. I..I should go,” Zuko said reluctantly, rising to his feet.

“Stay,” Sokka said, words beginning to leave his mouth before he had even realized he’d thought them. “You can stay here tonight. If you want to, I mean. There’s..there’s no need for you to go all the way back to your room.” Zuko felt his heart flutter faster in his chest. His eyes found Sokka’s. They were...eager and soft. “We already know we wear the same size, you can borrow some of my clothes. It’s no big deal.”

“Yeah..that’d be good,” Zuko managed as Sokka was already making his way to his dresser. “Yeah. I’d love to stay.” Sokka grabbed a shirt and pants and handed them to Zuko.

“Perfect,” Sokka replied with a soft smile on his lips. Zuko paused. He was lost in Sokka’s eyes and had to pull himself out before drowning.

“I’m...I’m gonna change in the bathroom,” Zuko said quietly. “I’ll be right back.” He turned to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Zuko took his robes off, folded them, and set them on the vanity. He slipped off his hairpiece which brought instant relief. Zuko released his hair from its topknot and allowed his surprisingly long hair to fall past his shoulders. He put on Sokka’s shirt and pants. They were softer than he’d been expecting. Zuko looked at himself in the mirror and froze. _Blue_. A cerulean blue shirt clung to him over blue gray pants. He’d never worn blue before. Zuko didn’t hate it. In fact, he was shocked at how at home he felt. Zuko found himself smiling for what seemed like the thousandth time that night and reentered the bedroom. He froze.

“Is that…?” Zuko began, unsure, pointing lazily towards the other man. “Are those my clothes?” Sokka was standing in front of him, braiding the hair on top of his head before tying it back into a wolf tail, wearing a maroon shirt and brown pants. Sokka smiled.

“Yes?” Sokka said, not certain it was the right answer. Zuko laughed.

“I wondered where those went,” Zuko replied, pretending for a moment he hadn’t known exactly what had happened to that set of sleepwear.

“I’m not giving them back, so don’t ask,” Sokka said firmly. Zuko cocked his head so Sokka would continue. “They have a good memory attached to them. They...they remind me of being taken care of...I had to grow up fast after my mom died. I know I always had Katara, but it wasn’t the same. And since the war, we haven’t been around each other nearly as much. So I didn’t have much that reminded me of home, of being cared for so genuinely.” He paused to gauge Zuko’s reaction. Zuko looked back with understanding.

“But when you took so much time to be there for me so I didn’t have to be sick by myself...it was the first time I could remember feeling that... _safe_ since we met Aang and became involved in the war...Plus they’re soft,” Sokka added. “ _But_...if you want them back, I’d be happy to-”

“No,” Zuko stated as he walked over, cutting Sokka off by putting his hand on the Ambassador’s arm. “I wouldn’t dare accept them. They’re yours.” The two stopped, frozen, for a moment, until Zuko took his hand off Sokka. “We should...let’s go to bed.” Sokka smiled.

“After you, Firelord,” Sokka teased, holding his hand out towards the bed. Zuko went to the right side of the bed as if it were muscle memory. Sokka slipped in on the left, blowing out the remaining candles, silently noting that Zuko had chosen to trust Sokka to protect his left through the night. A warm ball started growing in his stomach.

They laid on their backs in the dark for a few minutes. They were both far more wired than they were before on the couch but each also both hesitant to speak first. Finally, Sokka turned to face Zuko. The Firelord returned his gaze.

“Hey,” Sokka said playfully. Zuko smiled and turned to his side, his body now completely facing Sokka.

“Yeah?” Zuko replied.

“Wanna play a game?” Sokka asked. Zuko scrunched his face.

“What game?” Zuko countered.

“One Million Gold Coins. Remember? We used to play when you would work and I’d distract you because I got tired of you not paying attention to me,” Sokka explained, his body now mirroring Zuko. Zuko scoffed.

“Yeah, I remember,” Zuko rolled his eyes. “Sure. Let’s play. You go first.”

“Okay,” Sokka grinned. “Would you, for one million gold coins, let Toph take over as Firelord for one full day?”

“No,” Zuko responded immediately.

“How many gold coins to change your mind?” Sokka prodded, poking Zuko on the shoulder.

“No one could _ever_ offer me enough money to agree to that!” Zuko exclaimed. “She’s so intimidating. She’d fire all my staff, redesign the architecture of the palace with her bending, and make it illegal for me to get my job back within her first hour.” Sokka snorted.

“That’s fair,” Sokka said through laughter. “Your turn.”

“Would you, for one million gold coins, drink all of your meals through a straw?” Zuko asked. Sokka squinted.

“Uh, yeah. I would. Food is food. I’d be rich and fed,” Sokka decided. Zuko laughed and mentioned how gross that is but Sokka ignored him. “Okay, I’ve got a good one. I’m starting at ten million. For ten million gold coins, would you give up your bending?” Zuko’s eye widens. He paused to consider.

“I..no. I wouldn’t,” Zuko eventually revealed.

“Yeah, I guess bending is too cool to give up,” Sokka said.

“No, it’s not that,” Zuko clarified, placing his hand lightly on Sokka’s arm. “It’s...my bending can help people. I used to think it was destructive and that it came from a place of rage within me. I wasn’t good at it when I was little but the anger made it stronger. I was taught firebending was about _power_. But then...I met you guys. And after I became Firelord, I realized that bending is powerful. It’s too powerful for me to keep to myself. I used it to help save my nation...But there are a thousand tiny things I can do for people throughout the day that makes their lives a little better. I can reheat your tea when you forget about it. I can light a fire to help you see at night. My bending helped you break your fever. It’s...I don’t want my bending for the spectacle. The fighting and the acrobatics of it is...great, but that’s not why I value it anymore. I wouldn’t give up my bending because it always seems to surprise you when I make your tea steam in my hand.”

Sokka stared at the firebender in front of him. “That’s a great answer, Zu. And no, it’ll always shock me when you perform magic in front of me.” Zuko laughed. “Your turn.”

Zuko thought for a moment. As much as he wanted to make Sokka laugh, Zuko wanted to return the thoughtfulness of the question. “If someone gave you ten million gold coins but made you promise to never go back to the South Pole, would you take the money?”

Sokka paused, his mouth hung open. “For ten million? I wouldn’t. But for _fifteen_ million gold coins, I would stay out of the South Pole. I don’t care where I am, I care who’s there. As long as I can see you...and Katara, Aang, Toph, dad...yeah, I’d miss the South Pole, obviously, but it wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things...I build my home in people, not in places.”

“Spirits, Sokka,” Zuko whispered. Sokka’s hand was placed in between the two. Zuko lightly placed his hand on top, his fingers slowly lacing with Sokka’s. The fire living in Zuko jumped to life. Everything seemed brighter all of a sudden. It took Zuko a while to realize that he had accidentally relit half the candles in the room. The flames waxed and waned and eventually settled so low that they almost looked like embers. Sokka smirked. Zuko couldn’t take his eyes off his Ambassador. His skin glowed in the light, his eyes sparkled like stars. Zuko started to give in and lose himself in Sokka’s gaze but his brain betrayed his heart.

“Your turn,” Zuko heard his voice say. It was all he could do not to curse at his own words.

“Okay,” Sokka whispered. Sokka’s fingers curled Zuko’s in tighter. Sokka leaned in a bit closer until their foreheads were a breath away from touching. Zuko felt himself pull Sokka’s hand in slightly towards his chest. Zuko could have sworn he felt Sokka tremble. “Okay, if someone offered you twenty million gold coins...would you date me?”

“I’d do it for free,” Zuko’s voice offered immediately, without his permission. The Firelord tensed.

Sokka stared at him, blue eyes piercing him. “What?” His voice was almost too quiet to hear.

“I said,” Zuko repeated, confident in his answer. “I said that I would date you for free. I don’t need anyone to pay me. I’d just...be with you. On my own.”

Zuko’s heart was beating so hard, he thought it was going to leap out of his chest and into Sokka’s arms. Swiftly, and so quick Zuko wasn’t sure it was really happening, Sokka closed the gap between their bodies. The only thing separating their chests from being flushed together were their hands, tangled in each other. Zuko didn’t dare blink as his nose was brushed by Sokka’s. He wouldn’t believe this was actually happening if he wasn’t seeing it with his own eye. Zuko could feel Sokka’s breath hot on his lips and squeezed Sokka’s hand to brace himself. Sokka paused, just a moment away from him.

“Is this,” Sokka started. “Can..can I?” Zuko could feel the words better than he could hear them. He nodded as much as he could with Sokka pressed so close.

“Yes,” Zuko said eagerly. Sokka broke the gap and suddenly the only thing in the world that mattered were Sokka’s impossibly soft lips pressed against him. Every second of the kiss was better than the last.

But then the room flashed bright as day. Shocked, the men pulled apart to take in their surroundings, only to find that Zuko had caused every candle in the room to burn to its brightest. Sokka started laughing. It was warm and infectious and spread to Zuko as they returned to each other.

Sokka let go of Zuko’s hand and wrapped his arm firmly around Zuko’s waist. Zuko’s hand found its way into Sokka’s hair. Feeling a sudden rush of confidence, Zuko pulled his friend in by the neck, putting his lips back where they had always belonged. They kissed through smiles and, when their lips grew tired, they fell asleep in an embrace, unable to untangle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading!! :)


	7. Brought to my Knees in Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka invents things and that makes Zuko feels feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer. A chunk of time passes twice during this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

When Sokka opened his eyes the next morning, rays of sunlight shone on Zuko. Sokka realized that neither man dared move in the night and they were still laced together like a zipper. Zuko’s body though, still felt slightly tense with consciousness as if he were holding himself in place instead of simply _being_. The Firelord’s eyes shot open to meet Sokka’s. The two small suns on Zuko’s face smiled before his lips could.

“How long have you been awake?” Sokka asked.

“About an hour and a half,” Zuko responded, blood rushing to his cheeks.

“What? Why?” Sokka said through a gasp. Zuko laughed.

“The sun came up. Firebenders rise with the sun. We can’t help it,” Zuko explained.

Sokka started to stir. “Why didn’t you get up, then?” Zuko prevented him from moving, holding him tighter.

“You looked peaceful,” Zuko ran his thumb over Sokka’s cheek. “I wouldn’t dare wake you. Besides...I like being beside you. I wasn’t in a hurry for that to end.”

Sokka smiled and pulled Zuko in closer, pressing their lips together. There was warmth and gentleness surrounding them. Zuko twisted his fingers in the shirt Sokka wore.

“Sokka?” Zuko asked as he pulled away. Sokka hummed in response. “You’re...you’re my boyfriend...right?” Their eyes locked on each other. Sokka ran his fingers over Zuko’s ear and into his hair, pulling softly.

“For as long as you’ll have me,” Sokka answered. A smile pulled across Zuko’s lips so large he looked like he might burst. Bringing Zuko back in for another kiss, Sokka couldn’t help but say a prayer to Tui and La, thanking them for letting the sun into his life.

\---------------

The two fell into a comfortable routine that from the untrained eye looked remarkably similar to their previous behaviors. Though they weren’t hiding their relationship, the secret glances they shared, the small touches between them, were so subtle that they were impossible to catch.

Zuko remarked to himself that dating his best friend was the easiest thing in the world. Practically speaking, the only thing that changed were the kisses they exchanged. But Zuko knew that being Sokka’s boyfriend opened him up to a level of emotional vulnerability that he had never experienced. He wasn’t opposed to the change but he certainly waited for Sokka to take the lead.

One night, a month and a half into their new relationship, the two men sat in the library together. Zuko’s feet were propped up into Sokka’s lap as they sat on a small loveseat. They were content in the silence they shared for several hours. Sokka was reading a book on haikus, writing in the margins, trying to create the perfect poem about his boomerang. Zuko was rereading his terribly worn copy of _Love Amongst the Dragons_.

As Zuko flipped a page, he felt eyes on him. Lowering the script, he smiled and asked, “What are you staring at?”

“I’m looking at sunshine,” Sokka replied easily as if that was something so simple to say. He had already put his poetry down on top of Zuko’s legs. The firebender flushed crimson.

“You’re..? I’m...what?” Zuko stuttered. Sokka leaned forward to tuck hair behind Zuko’s ear.

He explained, “Well, you’re warm, and bright, and you set things on fire. Plus the sun pretty much controls you. So...you’re sunshine. I think it fits you well.”

Zuko hummed. “Are we doing pet names now? I didn’t realize we were there yet,” he joked.

“I’ve been there for a long time,” Sokka stated, tenderly holding Zuko’s hand. Somehow, Zuko blushed deeper.

“Okay but it’s not fair if you don’t have a pet name, too,” Zuko said excitedly.

“Alright,” Sokka started. “When you think of one for me, will you let me know?”

“I will, turtleduck,” Zuko said evenly, pressing his nose back in the pages. Sokka pulled the book down into Zuko’s lap.

“Turtleduck?” He asked, biting his smile. Zuko nodded. “Where did that come from?”

“Well...they’re soft and cute,” Zuko began, his fingers lightly grazing Sokka’s. “They’re fiercely protective of the ones they love, just like you...Plus turtleducks are my absolute favorite animal. And...you’re my favorite person, Sokka. Nothing else would work quite as well on you.” Zuko looked at the other man but received no response.

Panicking, Zuko backtracked, “I don’t have to call you that, though. Only if you like it. And you don’t have to like it. I can think of something else, it’s no big-” Sokka cut him off with a kiss. He held Zuko’s head between his hands.

“That’s perfect,” Sokka said quietly, no longer hiding his smile. “I wouldn’t want you to call me anything else. I was just surprised. You came up with that so quickly.”

“I guess…” Zuko responded with a shrug. “I guess, I’ve been _there_ for a long time, too.”

\----------------

In the next few days, Zuko fell behind on his correspondence. He and Sokka had been spending any spare moment they had in each other’s company and found that once their work was done for the day, they preferred to spend their time in each other’s arms rather than reading letters. After canceling a redundant meeting one afternoon and finding a considerable amount of time to himself before Sokka returned from the town, Zuko finally settled down long enough to focus on the messages that had arrived the week before.

The Firelord was pleasantly surprised by the letters’ contents. His sister, Azula, wrote him to give an update on her progress. Immediately following the war, Azula had been checked into a mental hospital to receive the care she had desperately needed growing up. Once she began treatment and was met with adults who were capable of sparing even the smallest amount of compassion, her mental state improved rapidly.

It wasn’t easy in the beginning to convince her to take her situation seriously or to trust anyone around her in general. Zuko spent the better part of a year visiting her only to be met with a harsh tongue, to put it mildly. Eventually, once her brother had proven to her that he wasn’t going to let her waste away, the princess began to open up. When the floodgates opened, Azula was more willing to accept the love she deserved and make amends for her actions. She remained at an in-patient facility for four years before transferring into a less structured program. Azula and her doctors had thought it would be best for her progress if she left the Fire Nation and Zuko had hesitantly agreed.

She moved in with Uncle a year and a half prior where she helped out at the Jasmine Dragon and continued her therapy in Ba Sing Se. Truth be told, Azula prided herself on how willing the Earth Kingdom program was to take her. She couldn’t help but think that their fascination with her mental state would make her “the best at getting better” and that that would attract the greatest doctors in the area. Zuko doubted she was wrong.

He had received a letter from Azula once a week. Part of her therapy included journaling in order to express and understand her thoughts and feelings, so it became natural to her to update her brother. Despite their length, Zuko felt deep relief every time one was placed on his desk.

About three months earlier, the doctors in Ba Sing Se had approved a furlough of her treatment so that she could explore the world. Uncle temporarily closed up his shop and accompanied his niece wherever her heart took her. He was surprised to find that her first and only request was to visit the Sun Warriors.

After the war, the Sun Warriors were more open to accepting visitors, especially when those visitors included the Dragon of the West. Azula wrote Zuko to describe to him things he remembered fondly. She had spent the first two months of her stay learning about the culture surrounding her and training in a new form of firebending. In the last month, the warriors had decided she was ready to test her worthiness with the great firebending masters just as Zuko and Aang had done many years ago. She wrote vividly of how “ _I was brought to my knees in tears, Zuzu, as I was encased in a tornado of rainbow fire. I would have found the whole ordeal utterly humiliating if it weren’t so...pretty_ ”. If Azula had her way, Zuko wouldn’t be surprised if she never left the Sun Warriors.

The second letter Zuko had received was from Uncle. Overall, it was a simple reiteration of the message from his sister. He did, however, add that the two had been lucky enough to assist the warriors in cultivating a dragon sanctuary where they could rebuild the dragon population. Uncle was also kind enough to include a box of hand crafted tea made from flowers native only to the ancient city where he was staying.

Zuko had already read and replied diligently to his first two letters when he started looking over his third. The final message had caught him slightly off guard. He hadn’t yet had the chance to pen a response when Sokka entered joyfully, carrying a small box.

“Guess what I-” he began, pausing when he noticed the Firelord’s eyes glued to parchment, swept up in jovial, silent laughter. “What’s so funny?” The Ambassador took his seat to Zuko’s right.

“You’re never going to believe the news I just got,” Zuko stated through giggles. A smile spread across Sokka’s face.

“What is it? Who’s it from?” the other man asked, tempted to take the letter to read himself.

“Our ex-girlfriends are dating,” Zuko replied, finally making eye contact. Sokka scrunched his face in confusion.

“What?” he asked, looking for more information. “But Suki’s dating Ty Lee...right? Wait. Did they break up? Or has Mai decided to date the moon?”

“Nope!” Zuko offered, handing Sokka the letter. “Suki and Ty Lee are still going strong. But the latter has taken another girlfriend.”

Sokka paused to look over the message. It was from Zuko’s ex-girlfriend, Mai. The two had stayed friends after they broke up. Zuko had confided in Mai that he was gay and she had seemed relieved at the time. Mai hadn’t dated anyone since. Sokka assumed that her lack of relationship stemmed solely from the fact that she chose to take an active role in Azula’s recovery and therefore didn’t have time for romance. As it turned out, Mai was just incredibly nervous to come out herself. She hadn’t been ready until a year ago when she joined the Kyoshi Warriors and came to terms with the fact that she had options beyond marrying for political gain. Joining the girls had resurrected her childhood crush that she, truthfully, didn’t bury very deeply to begin with.

“So...Suki is dating Ty Lee. And Ty Lee is dating Mai?” Sokka asked for clarification. Zuko nodded. “That’s great news!”

“It really is,” Zuko stated, lacing his fingers with the Ambassador’s. “It’s still funny that Suki and Mai are dating through association, though.”

Sokka leaned in closer to his boyfriend. “Why’s it funny?”

“I just...it would have been so much simpler if we had all been truly honest about what we wanted when we were younger...Don’t you think?,” Zuko explained. “It would have saved us so much time.”

“No one really knows what they want as a kid, though, Zu,” Sokka countered, shrugging.

“I did,” the Firelord said without hesitation. “I wish I had been brave enough to tell you.” Zuko’s face flushed from embarrassment and he sank a few inches lower in his chair.

“You told me now,” Sokka whispered in his ear and planted a soft kiss on Zuko’s temple. “Maybe we weren’t together over the last five years, but I wouldn’t consider that time wasted. I still got to spend a great deal of time with my best friend. _But_ if you want to catch up on kisses we didn’t share, I’m sure I can block off time to make that happen, sunshine.” Sokka placed his hand on Zuko’s chin and turned him so that their lips found each other. Their kiss was tender and sweet. Zuko was eager to continue but Sokka tugged lightly at the other man’s hair to stop him from leaning in further. Zuko met Sokka’s eyes to find answers to the abrupt stop.

“I have something for you,” Sokka explained, backing away. He picked up the small box he brought with him and placed it in the hands of his Firelord.

“It’s...it’s not another Water Tribe holiday today that I didn’t know about...right?” Zuko asked. It wouldn’t be the first time that he was given a gift for a celebration he wasn’t aware existed only to not have anything for Sokka in return.

“It’s not! Don’t worry,” Sokka replied, his smile bright on his face. “It’s not for any particular reason other than showing you how much I like you.” Zuko looked down at the box to hide the blush that was beginning to become permanent on his face.

“What is it?” he asked without opening the lid.

“Open it and you’ll find out!” Sokka teased with a smirk. Zuko chuckled lightly and opened the box. He took stock of the item in front of him and didn’t bother to hide his confusion.

“What is it?” Zuko repeated. He placed the box on the table, picked the contents up, and brought it closer to his face to examine. Sokka laughed. He adored the way Zuko’s brow furrowed when he didn’t understand something.

“I’ve known about your hearing loss for a while now but I didn’t feel comfortable doing anything like this until you were willing to confide in me,” Sokka began. “The morning after you told me what was going on, I started researching how I could help. The last two months, I’ve been writing back and forth with Teo’s dad in the Earth Kingdom. I designed a prototype and sent the sketches and instructions to him and he sent me this.”

Sokka pointed to the small item in Zuko’s hand. There was a small bud at the end of a thin wire that ran up and around in a fixed yet flexible position to an acrylic base. It was smaller than Zuko’s thumb and weighed very little. The acrylic base was a vibrant orange with red specs at the bottom and yellow specs at the top resembling a flame. Though Zuko didn’t understand _what_ he was holding, he thought the exterior design was fascinating.

“Actually, this is the third one he sent,” Sokka backtracked. “The first two worked but they just weren’t... _right_. The first was too heavy and I thought it would annoy you all day. The second one wasn’t loud enough, nor was it painted to look so cool. _This one_ , though, is perfect.” Zuko looked up at Sokka with a smirk and exhaled sharply through his nose.

“Okay but _what is it_?” Zuko pressed. There was no way to be impressed completely by the genius of Sokka’s inventions if he didn’t even know what it did. Sokka smiled and sighed.

“It’s going to help you hear,” Sokka revealed. The smile fell from Zuko’s lips, replaced with shock. Sokka cut him off as he was about to ask questions and explained further. “The bud sits in your bad ear and the wire twists up and around. The base will sit just behind, resting between your ear and head. The base contains a speaker which will pick up the sounds around you and amplify them right next to your eardrum. Now, this won’t permanently bring back the volume you’ve lost, it’s only going to magnify what you hear while you’re wearing it. If I’m correct, though...it should stop you from losing any more hearing. It acts as a barrier so that outside sounds can’t do any more damage to your inner ear.”

Zuko hadn’t stopped staring at Sokka, mouth agape. Sokka placed his hand on top of Zuko’s and picked up the hearing device. “Can I help you put it on?” Zuko nodded slightly without making a sound and his eyes fell to his fingers. Sokka began to put the aid in Zuko’s ear as he continued, “Teo’s dad assured me that you should stop noticing it’s there after an hour so don’t worry about it if it’s uncomfortable at first. Obviously, if it doesn’t feel good, let me know and I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to fix it. There’s a button back here that turns it on. You should hear a beep and then it should start working.”

Sokka finished applying it, pressed the button, and let his fingers travel through Zuko’s hair before falling. Sokka admired how the little flame stuck out behind his boyfriend’s ear as though it was always meant to be there.

Suddenly, Zuko’s eyes shot open as wide as his skin would allow and Sokka heard him gasp quietly. The two golden suns on the Firelord’s face shot up to meet the Ambassador’s oceans. Sokka felt his heart stop as his mind began to race wildly. Had he overstepped his bounds? Was this not okay? Had he insulted Zuko somehow? After what _felt like hours_ but lasted only moments, Sokka pulled himself together long enough to problem solve.

“What’s wrong?” Sokka rambled. “Is it set too loud? Does it make your scar hurt? Is it pinching? It’s too heavy, still, isn’t it? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t ha-” Zuko placed his fingers lightly over Sokka’s lips as hot tears began to prick his eyes. Zuko shook his head lightly as a soft stream of tears began to fall, despite his best efforts.

“It’s raining, Sokka,” Zuko declared quietly. A delirious smile began to spread over the firebender’s face. He was no longer trying to shield his emotions.

“Ye-...yeah. It is. It’s been raining all day,” the water tribe man replied, a question mark punctuating every word.

“I forgot that rain makes noise when it hits a window,” Zuko explained, glancing briefly to his left at the water banging on the glass. “I didn’t even realize I missed that.” Zuko returned his gaze to Sokka, placing his hand on the other man’s face. “You...you gave that back to me.”

Zuko wrapped his arms around Sokka’s waist and nuzzled his damp face in his best friend’s, his boyfriend’s shoulder, allowing his tears to continue to flow freely. Sokka squeezed Zuko as tight as he possibly could, pulling him in so they were sharing Sokka’s office chair. There were a thousand things that Zuko would like to have said. ‘ _This is the best gift I’ve ever been given_.’ Or ‘ _I have no idea how I got so lucky_.’ Or even ‘ _You’re the best person I’ve ever met_.’ Zuko eventually settled on a single word that would express his thoughts to Sokka better than any string of praises or thank yous.

“Turtleduck…” Zuko whispered in Sokka’s neck. Sokka placed a tender kiss on Zuko’s forehead. Zuko decided in that moment that he would be content to stay right there for the remainder of his life; squished up next to his boyfriend, feeling their hearts beat together, and being able to hear the hum in his breath for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys SO much for the comments and the kudos! It seriously means the world. There will be another chapter posted tomorrow! :)


	8. Intricately Wrapped Strands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko is a man of many talents. Being emotionally vulnerable without active encouragement and participation from the other party? That's not one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter than the last but I really love it. Hope you do, too!

Zuko sat stomach down on his bed with hearts coming out of his eyes as he watched Sokka diligently braid his hair. Over the months they’d been together, this had become a part of their nightly routine. Each man would put on their night clothes. Zuko would wear a set of blue and Sokka chose red. After a few nights of asking to borrow the other’s pajamas, they thought it’d be wiser to trade entirely. Zuko would release his hair from its top knot, brush it out, and let it sit loosely down his back. He’d usually finish getting ready before Sokka and would spend that extra bit of time admiring his boyfriend’s work. It looked so complicated to Zuko and he found it incredibly difficult to look away.

“Can I help you?” Sokka teased. Zuko shifted his eyes to find a pair of oceans looking at him through the mirror. Zuko felt himself blush, a little embarrassed at being caught in his indulgence.

“It just...your braids always look so good. I’m impressed,” Zuko explained. Sokka dropped his hands and let the hair fall untied. He turned on the vanity bench to look at the firebender properly.

“I could teach you if you’d like,” Sokka shrugged playfully. “You’d look really good in braids.” Zuko’s lips smiled easily. Sokka patted his hand on the wood seat. “Come sit. I’ll show you how to do it.”

Zuko slipped off the bed and made his way towards Sokka who had already vacated the bench. The Firelord took the empty place on the seat and looked longingly at his boyfriend through the mirror. Sokka took Zuko’s long, inky hair in his hands and began brushing through it with his fingers. A smile broke out across his face and he bent down to the level of the man in front of him.

“Your hair’s so pretty, sunshine,” Sokka whispered in his right ear and kissed him on the temple. He stood back up, ready to get started. “So! It’s easier to _show_ you how to do it on your own hair first. Then I’ll let you practice on me.” Sokka split Zuko’s hair in half down the middle so he could give two examples before he had the Firelord give it a go. He tied the right half into a loose ponytail and began his work on the left. Sokka instructed verbally as his actions matched.

“First, you’re going to separate the hair into three sections at the top of your hairline,” Sokka explained. Zuko melted under his touch. He couldn’t remember the last time someone else played with his hair like this and he was overwhelmed with how good it felt. “Try to get them as even as you can so that they lay flat and one section doesn’t bulge up over the others. Now watch how I pull one strand under another the other.” Sokka began rotating the first strand over the second strand. Then the second strand under the third. “Every time you pull a section on top, you grab a little more hair that’s laying loosely and pull it into the next section of the braid.”

Sokka finished the first braid and tied it off in a knot at the end. Zuko ran his fingers over the styled hair. It was pulled tight but still loose enough that it didn’t hurt at his scalp. “I really like this, turtleduck,” Zuko said quietly, studying the intricately wrapped strands.

“Okay, I think you got this but I’m gonna show you one more time before you give it a shot,” Sokka said proudly. He picked up the other side and mirrored the process. Zuko watched closely and Sokka smiled when he noticed the firebender twist his fingers in the air, practicing on invisible hair, copying every movement the Ambassador made. Sokka finished the second braid off and placed his hands on Zuko’s shoulders. Immediately, the Firelord began running his fingers over the twisted strands of hair, his eyes wide with awe.

“I should have been doing this sooner!” Sokka declared, his cheek pressed against Zuko’s. “You look beautiful. Very...Water Tribe. Especially in that blue.” Sokka lost himself for a moment, falling deeply into Zuko’s eyes. He pulled himself out when he remembered the task at hand. “Ready to try?”

Zuko took a deep breath, not realizing he had been holding it, and nodded. The two switched seats and Sokka shook his hair loose of the light twists that still remained. Zuko brushed Sokka’s hair through his fingers and mapped out his plan in his head. Sokka had less hair than Zuko. The sides of his hair were far too short to pull together so Zuko noted that the pieces on top were what he had to work with. The Firelord decided his best bet would be to braid it all together in one twist down the middle.

Zuko separated the hair into three sections and tentatively began his first attempt. He was afraid to hurt Sokka so he pulled it together loosely and tied it off. Sokka chuckled lightly as he examined.

“Huh. Okay,” Sokka finally said. “You definitely paid attention. Ultimately, you got the twisting right. But you didn’t pull it tight enough so it’ll fall really easily. Watch.” Sokka shook his head quickly three times and many strands fell to his face. Zuko’s face turned bright red and he tried to hide himself in the poorly tied braid on his boyfriend’s head. Sokka turned around and placed his hands on Zuko’s cheeks.

“Hey, Zu,” Sokka asserted softly. “You can do this. Try again.” He kissed Zuko on the nose and turned back to face the mirror. Zuko pulled the remaining twists loose and let the hair fall. He inhaled deeply as he sectioned it off and began again. He was much quicker this time and Sokka hummed quietly to encourage his Firelord to pull a bit tighter.

As he made his way to the bottom, he grabbed the tie and knotted the end. Once again, Sokka inspected Zuko’s work. He looked more impressed with this attempt than the first. With a smile, Sokka divulged, “This is _much_ better. The only thing I would have done differently would be to even out the sections more before you begin braiding. Do you see how this section bulges out more than the others?” Sokka pointed to the offending strand and Zuko nodded, scrunching his face and pursing his lips.

“You did a great job, though!” Sokka clarified as he turned and took Zuko’s hands in his and kissed the knuckles on his boyfriend’s fingers.

“I want to try again,” Zuko decided confidently. Sokka raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Okay, Zu,” Sokka sang and he smiled as he turned back around one more time. Zuko released the hair from its tie and helped it fall to the sides. Zuko shook his hands out to rid them of tension and began to focus intently on the sectioning. Once he was _certain_ he’d evened them out correctly this time, he started to twist them together, just like Sokka had demonstrated.

The Water Tribe man watched his boyfriend in the mirror. He didn’t even notice the smile spread across his lips as he let himself stare at Zuko with awe. Sokka adored how focused the man behind him was, he could feel how deeply Zuko cared with each movement he made.

Sokka was so distracted by staring at the Firelord that he jumped a little as Zuko lifted his hands and announced, “I’m done! How does it look?” Zuko made eye contact with Sokka through the mirror and smiled nervously. The Ambassador leaned forward to observe Zuko’s work and...he had to remind himself to take a breath. His fingers examined the twisted strands carefully and his mouth hung wide open. It was perfect. The braid on his head matched the quality of those that had become muscle memory to Sokka.

“Spirits, Zuko, you did amazing! I love you!” Sokka exclaimed, the word pouring from his mouth like melted butter. Zuko’s body froze, his face turned to stone. Sokka, realizing what he had just admitted, became so red he began to blend in with the maroon shirt on his back as he stammered. “I...love _it_. The braid. I love the braid. It’s...no. I love you. I do. I’m sorry I know this is fast and I’m probably freaking you out but-”

In one swift motion, Zuko cut Sokka off by shifting to sit beside him on the cramped bench. Zuko took Sokka’s face in his hands, pulled him close, and kissed him softly but with firm intention. He pulled away from Sokka slightly, leaving their foreheads together, and moved his left hand to stroke the back of his boyfriend’s head.

“I love you, too, Sokka,” Zuko whispered back through a smile. “I have loved you for as long as I can remember.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, thank you so much for the comments and kudos. They're incredibly encouraging and I appreciate them more than I can express!


	9. Love Always, Katara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Zuko is confident about a decision, he really knows how to make it happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost to the end! This is where the other characters start coming in. Everyone in the tags will be in the final chapter at least. ALSO! I didn't realize until this chapter that any edits you make in other places like google docs don't transfer to AO3. So I went back and edited every chapter but ONLY to add back in the italics I thought were there before.

After eight months of dating his best friend, Zuko decided he simply couldn’t stand _not_ being married to Sokka any longer. The moment he realized this wasn’t necessarily significant to the outside observer, but it meant the world to Zuko. They were in a council meeting and the Firelord was presenting. In the middle of a sentence, he paused to sneeze. Before he even completed the sneeze, Sokka had stood up, picked up where Zuko left off mid sentence, and placed an embroidered Fire Nation handkerchief in his hands. He stared at Sokka in awe, a stupid smirk on his face, and thought, _I want to spend every moment of the rest of my life beside you._

Zuko’s impulse was to propose on the spot the moment this thought popped into his head but he bit his tongue. Sokka deserved a proposal that was as special as he was. So Zuko put himself to work to begin planning immediately following the dismissal of the meeting.

The collection of books in the library that discussed Water Tribe rituals were incredibly helpful...for the Northern Water Tribe. After the war, most of the information on the Southern Tribe seemed to have been lost. There were a few books that detailed the differences between the two regarding hunting styles and in the way they prepared similar dishes but it wasn’t very informative on engagements.

Within the week, Zuko felt as though he had an excellent grasp on betrothal necklaces of the Northern Water Tribe. There wasn’t a lot of data to prove otherwise, but he knew from his friendship with Katara that the betrothal necklaces weren’t a practice the Southern Water Tribe had adopted when the two split. In fact, he recalled finding out that Katara didn’t even realize the necklace she wore daily was a sign of engagement until she first visited their sister tribe. It would have been easy for Zuko to take the knowledge he learned and give Sokka a proper Northern Water Tribe proposal...but that wasn’t good enough.

He eventually decided the only way he could get the information he needed was to ask someone who knew from first hand experience. Zuko set the books to the side, grabbed a pen and parchment, and began writing a letter. The moment the pen was in his hand, a wave of nerves hit him so Zuko made the decision to keep the message short, sweet, and to the point.

> _Dear Katara,_
> 
> _I hope this letter finds you well. It’s only been a month since you and Aang were able to visit and introduce us to Baby Bumi and we already miss you all greatly._
> 
> _I will be frank and let you know the purpose of this correspondence. I want to propose to Sokka. I love him dearly and I want to be able to give him everything he deserves. It is my greatest hope that you approve. Your opinion means the world to Sokka and I value it as well._
> 
> _In addition, I have spent the last week gathering as much information as is available to me on Southern Water Tribe proposals...there’s not much. I’ve found a great wealth of knowledge on Northern traditions but the rituals of your home elude me. I would ask Sokka but I’d love for this to be as much of a surprise as possible. I’m certain he’d be happy with a Northern Water Tribe proposal but I want this to be perfect. If you have any help you could spare, I will be forever in your debt._
> 
> _Your friend,_
> 
> _~~Firelord~~ Zuko_

\-----------------

Three days later, a response arrived. So quick? How was Katara able to accomplish such speed? Had she threatened someone to get a hasty delivery? Zuko had the privilege of sending messages quickly due to his royal status. He couldn’t help but imagine that Katara used her waterbending to intimidate the poor soul at the post into a priority shipping.

Zuko tucked himself into his office, shutting the door to insure privacy before he opened the letter. There was a small package attached but he placed it to the side to prioritize the message.

> _My Dear ~~Brother-in-Law~~ Zuko,_
> 
> _Although you certainly don’t need my permission to marry Sokka, you definitely have it. I can’t wait to welcome you to the family! In the last six years, I have had the pleasure of watching you grow into an incredible man and I couldn’t imagine a better partner for my brother. That being said, if you ever hurt him I will trap you in an iceberg for a hundred years and I don’t think you’ll come out as jovially as Aang did. I doubt it’ll come to that but I’ve gotta cover my bases._
> 
> _Unfortunately, the Southern Water Tribe lost a lot in the early years of the war including our cultural traditions. With the waterbenders taken prisoner and most of the men away in battle, there weren’t enough people left behind to make sure our rituals were preserved. We’ve been trying to rebuild but there are still a lot of things we don’t have...like a traditional proposal. That’s why Aang proposed to me the Air Nomad way._
> 
> _If you don’t want a Northern style engagement, I would suggest one of two things. You could propose to him the way people in the Fire Nation get engaged. I have a feeling you already considered that and you asked me for help because you wanted to do something more personal for Sokka - that’s earned you a few points in my book. The other option is to take what you know about the Water Tribe in general and create something on your own. It wouldn’t be something grounded firmly in tradition but it would make the engagement a lot more unique._
> 
> _Keep in mind that you are combining two nations, so you might want to consider that when you make your plans. It’s not only an engagement for Sokka, it’s one for you, too, Zuko. Yes, make it special for my brother. He deserves you pulling out all the stops. But you deserve something special, too._
> 
> _Love always,_
> 
> _Katara_
> 
> _P.S. Write me back when you have an idea! The Sunset Festival is taking place at home at the end of the month in the Southern Water Tribe and Toph and Suki have already confirmed they’ll join us. It would be a really nice time to get engaged. I plan to see you two there regardless but if you don’t let me know your plan, I’ll water whip you._

Not expecting this generous of a reply, Zuko stared at the parchment in his hands and reread it twice. He got to work right away, scribbling any and every idea he could think of and after thirteen different outlines, he finally came up with a plan that he really loved. All he could do was hope that Sokka loved it, too.

As the Firelord was about to pen a response to Katara, asking for her help, his elbow bumped into a small box that had been discarded on the table. It took him a moment to recall where he had received the package but, once he remembered, he decided he should look at the second part of Katara’s message before he wrote her back. He opened the lid and found a folded note on top of something wrapped in a soft cloth.

> _Z,_
> 
> _I don’t know what you plan to give my brother when you propose but I figured I’d send you a physical reference of something you **can** do. I’m letting you borrow my mother’s necklace until the end of the month when I see you and Sokka at the festival. You don’t need to copy the design exactly, but maybe this will give you inspiration to create something new._
> 
> _**DO NOT LOSE THIS.** Seriously. I’ll have Aang take your bending away if I don’t get this back. But that won’t happen. I trust you, Zuko. Let me know if you need anything._
> 
> _K_

Mouth wide open, Zuko’s eyes scanned the paper again and thought, _Certainly she didn’t. There’s no way. She didn’t send me her necklace._ He picked up the cloth in the box and, very carefully, pulled the edges open to reveal...Katara’s mother’s necklace. Zuko picked it out of the cloth and examined it close to his face, fingers running over the different surfaces.

The last time he held this necklace was when he was sixteen. A lot had changed since then. For one, Zuko changed sides. He had friends now and a beautiful boyfriend. His father couldn’t hurt him anymore. And Zuko wasn’t using his anger to hurt others, either.

Zuko exhaled deeply in an attempt to refocus his attention back on his plan. He had a lot of work to do and very little time to get everything done. He placed the necklace in the cloth and put it back in the box, closing the lid. Just as he was beginning to write back to Katara (and thank her endlessly for her trust and kindness), a sound at the door startled Zuko.

“Hey, sunshine!” Sokka exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the Firelord’s neck and placing a tender kiss on his temple. He used his chin to point at the closed box on the table. “Whatcha got there?”

Zuko stammered, struggling to maintain his cool. He pulled the box and the letter together into his hands in an attempt to obscure Sokka’s view. “This? Oh. Um. It’s nothing..I mean it’s Uncle. It’s from Uncle. He sent..tea. And a letter. I’ll brew some for us later.” Zuko turned to face Sokka, realizing he hadn’t seen the Ambassador all morning. “What were _you_ up to?”

Sokka paused and Zuko felt him tense slightly in his embrace. “Oh. Um. I was just out running some errands.” Zuko squinted. He couldn’t help but think that Sokka was harboring a secret but he chose to ignore it and let him continue. “Oh! I got a letter from Katara.” Zuko froze. She wouldn’t have _already_ told Sokka, right? “There’s this festival at the end of the month in the Southern Water Tribe and-”

“Yes!” Zuko interrupted, thanking Agni that Katara was able to keep a secret. “Katara sent me a short message about that, too. Let’s go! We haven’t visited your home in a bit. We can take some time off.” Sokka’s eyes brightened to match the smile spreading across his face.

“I’m really glad to hear you say that because I already sent a response to Katara saying we’d be there,” Sokka admitted. Zuko chuckled. He loved how happy Sokka was to get to visit the South Pole, even for a short time. Zuko stood up to get level with his boyfriend and placed his arms on Sokka’s shoulders.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Zuko said between planting soft kisses on Sokka’s cheek. Sokka hummed. “What if we spent that whole week in the South Pole?” Sokka pulled his head back to look Zuko in the eyes.

“What?”

“The festival is at the end of the month which falls on a weekend. What if we got to your home that Monday and stayed through the end of the festival? We could take whatever worked we needed to and complete it in the Southern Water Tribe,” Zuko elaborated. “But we could visit your dad and Bato and GranGran and we can do everything we do here...there. What do you say, turtleduck?”

Sokka placed his hands on Zuko’s cheeks and brought him in for a firm kiss. The two parted and Sokka answered, “I love you. That sounds perfect. I’ll go write my dad to let him know.” As he walked out the door, he paused and turned back to his Firelord. “Oh, before I forget, I’m meeting up with Master Piandao each morning for the next like four days. He’s agreed to spar and train me more and stuff. But I’ll be back by lunch.”

“Okay,” Zuko smiled at his Ambassador. “I love you, too.” Sokka continued on his way and Zuko pulled out more parchment. First, he wrote his reply to Katara to thank her, let her know his plan, and ask for her help. He had gotten sidetracked earlier with the box but he made his response a priority so he could ship the letter out as quickly as possible. Once it was taken care of, he got to work designing what he was going to gift Sokka. He loved the idea of a betrothal necklace. As he looked at Katara’s once again, Zuko started coming up with possibilities. He had to get his plans in order in three weeks. _It has to be perfect_ , Zuko thought as he began to create something unique and personal to ask his best friend to marry him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments! They warm my heart. ❤❤


	10. The Only Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you have to destroy a little property that's not yours in order to make sure your firebender doesn't lose his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: sleep deprivation
> 
> I know this is a lot later than I usually post. I'm sorry! School started this week and I'm straight up not having a good time. 
> 
> This chapter is the namesake for the title. It's also based on a tumblr post I made several weeks ago.
> 
> <https://honeybunchesofotey.tumblr.com/post/624248965468192768>  
> 

Three weeks pass by surprisingly quickly when you have an important task to complete. After several letters back and forth to Katara, talking it out with his the turtleducks, and asking his therapist for advice, Zuko landed concretely on what he would present to Sokka when he proposed.

Instead of a necklace, Zuko fashioned together a betrothal bracelet. The chain was made of polardog leather. The three strands were braided together to strengthen the band, two of which were dyed midnight blue and the third was a brilliant gold. The bracelet was long enough to wrap around Sokka’s wrist twice. In the middle of the braid was a circular piece of baked clay in a deep red with the Water Tribe symbol carved carefully inside. Zuko had redone the clay charm six times to get it just right. Threaded tightly on the left hand side of the symbol was a piece of whale bone and to the right was a piece of petrified lightning. _Keep in mind you are combining two nations._ Katara’s words had rattled around in his head the last few weeks. When Zuko placed the bracelet gently in a small box to bring on the trip, he was inclined to believe he did an excellent job merging fire and water.

With the help of the more advanced ships of the Fire Nation, their trip to the South Pole only took six hours. They left shortly after lunch and arrived just in time to enjoy their final meal of the day with Hakoda, GranGran, and Bato. The five of them exchanged hugs and welcomes then headed straight to the dinner table. For several hours, Sokka entertained his family with tales of the crazy things that happened in the Fire Nation. “I’m more hydrated now than I have been in my entire life. You can’t find anything to eat at a reasonable spice level so I end up drinking _at least a gallon_ of water throughout each meal,” Sokka exaggerated.

Hakoda and Bato caught the boys up on tribe gossip while GranGran occasionally reminded them that that was none of their business. This didn’t stop her, however, from listening intently or even correcting details when Bato was misinformed. A modest meal in the presence of reunited loved ones had easily stretched into an all evening event. Zuko was surprised at how much energy he still had, even as the hour got later. Normally with travel immediately followed by social interaction, Zuko would have been eager to go to bed. Tonight, however, he was in no rush.

As the time crept on, Sokka and Zuko were finally ready to go back to the hotel where they were staying since Katara had called “dibs” on the extra bedroom at Hakoda’s. “How fancy is it that the South Pole actually has a _hotel_ now?” Sokka asked excitedly. Once communications between nations had begun to improve, the Southern Water Tribe started to find itself in need of housing _visitors_ , a fact that continued to impress Sokka after several years.

As the two gathered their things and began to head out, Sokka opened the door and Zuko froze in his tracks. “What time is it?” Zuko questioned, his mind racing. Had they been there all night?

“It’s almost midnight. Let’s hurry so we can go to bed!” Sokka answered playfully, grabbing Zuko’s hand and pulling him out into the thick snow that late autumn brought.

“Sokka. The sun’s still out,” Zuko stared at his boyfriend, not allowing the two to continue walking until he understood what could possibly be happening.

“Yeah. It’s the midnight sun,” Sokka explained casually. He attempted to pull Zuko along but his feet seemed to be frozen to the ice.

“The...the midnight sun,” Zuko said quietly. His brow furrowed at Sokka who was simply not making any sense.

“The midnight sun? That’s why we’re here. Do..Wait, did I not explain the festival?” Sokka realized and slapped his hand to his forehead. Zuko pulled his hand away to place on his hips.

“Um. No. You did not,” Zuko stated, pursing his lips together.

“Okay the festival this weekend is called the Sunset Festival. We celebrate it each year at the end of the month when the moon returns to the sky. For 30 days each autumn, the sun doesn’t set. Katara hates it because it makes her bending weak. So the Sunset Festival is her favorite holiday since she gets her strength back. We start the festivities on Friday which build up to the sun setting on Saturday-”

“SATURDAY?” Zuko interrupted, his hands thrown in the air.

“Yeah, I know it’s pretty weird. I’m sure it’s hard to adjust to it the first time you experience it. Sorry, I thought I told you,” Sokka shrugged. He really didn’t understand the big deal.

“You definitely didn’t mention that..” Zuko said quietly, pulling at his hair slightly. He closed his eyes and exhaled, a small flame exiting his mouth.

“Is that a problem?” Sokka asked, suddenly concerned. Zuko only breathed fire when he was trying to impress his boyfriend...or if he was overwhelmed.

“It’s...no. It’ll be fine. It’s just...six days. I’m sure it’ll be okay.” The puffs of fire coming out with each sharp breath said otherwise. “Let’s go to the hotel. I’m sure you’re exhausted.” Zuko shook his arms, trying to release some energy, and picked up the bag he hadn’t noticed he’d dropped earlier. He started walking off towards their lodging. Sokka hurried after him with the other bag, unsure if he should press the subject further.

\---------------

When Sokka woke up the next morning a little after 9:30, he had expected Zuko to have already gotten ready and started the day, so he was thrown a little to find Zuko running his fingers absentmindedly through his wolf tail, pulling it out of its tie in the process. Sokka shifted his gaze up to the Firelord and moved his head into Zuko’s lap.

“Morning,” Sokka yawned.

“Yes. It is,” Zuko replied, staring straight ahead. “We’re out of work, by the way.”

Confused, Sokka asked, “We’re what?”

“I completed the work. Everything we brought? I finished it last night,” Zuko explained. Sokka sat up to face his boyfriend.

“What? Why? You didn’t sleep?” Sokka rambled. Now that he mentioned it, Zuko _did_ have bags forming under his eyes. Well, he _assumed_ the bags were under both but they weren’t dark enough yet to be noticed on top of scar tissue.

“The sun didn’t set. I didn’t want to stare at the ceiling all night so I got some work done. The next thing I knew, I had completed everything we brought with us and it was still only 8:30. Then I got back in bed with you and...waited until you were awake. You talk in your sleep. It only happens when you’re deeply asleep so it lasted from 1 this morning until about 6. It’s incredibly cute. I can’t believe I didn’t know until now,” Zuko looked Sokka in the eye for the first time that morning and attempted to smile but it wasn’t coming easily.

“You did all of our work last night to...protest the sun not setting?” Sokka attempted to piece together what he’d just been told.

“I told you months ago that firebenders rise with the sun. It’s where we get our energy, our strength. It works the other way, too. If the sun is still up, so am I. It’s been like this since I was a kid. I can’t set unless the sun does first,” Zuko jumped off the bed and walked to the closet. He grabbed some of Sokka’s clothes and threw them to the Ambassador. Sokka finally noticed that Zuko was dressed for the day already. “But it’s fine! I got all our work done so now we can spend our time with your dad. We can...relax and stuff.”

“Zu, I’m so sorry. That didn’t even occur to me,” Sokka whispered.

“It’s okay!” Zuko promised like a liar. He was already wearing the coat Sokka had bought for him on his first visit to the South Pole. “Let’s have some fun. We don’t get a lot of vacation time so we shouldn’t waste it. Get dressed!” Hesitantly, Sokka gathered the clothes in his hands.

“Okay...if you’re sure you’re okay. Give..give me 5 minutes and I’ll be ready to go.” As soon as Sokka slipped in the bathroom, Zuko sat on the edge of the bed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and tried to stifle the flame that left with his exhale.

\-------------

The first 24 hours weren't terrible. Zuko had been without sleep before and he didn’t want to ruin the trip home for Sokka so he tried his best to convince himself he would be fine going five nights without sleep. It didn’t help that he was spending most of his energy stressing himself out about proposing to Sokka. Every time he managed to think about anything else, his mind always wandered back to the bracelet burning a hole in his coat pocket. He _would_ simply put it in one of the bags to leave it behind in the hotel, but he was afraid its absence would make him paranoid that it was going to disappear or that Sokka would find it.

By “nightfall” Tuesday night, the two men had joined Hakoda and Bato on one trip ice fishing and one hunting. Even though Sokka’s dad had taught Zuko years earlier, he was out of practice. Both trips were successful despite Zuko relearning things and by the end of the day, three of the men were exhausted. Sokka promised that he wouldn’t fall asleep until Zuko did so they stayed up talking until Sokka eventually dozed off against his will around 2 in the morning.

By the time Sokka finally woke up, the bags under Zuko’s eyes were both clearly visible. Zuko, once again, tried to convince Sokka that he was fine but the Firelord’s voice cracked one too many times to be believed.

In a foolish attempt to wear Zuko out, Sokka suggested that the four men go ice dodging. Zuko had his first successful attempt on their last visit to the Southern Water Tribe the year prior so Sokka didn’t think it would be a problem. With the amount of physical strength you needed to dodge the ice, Zuko would _have_ to be tired enough to sleep Wednesday night.

While they all came out of the event alive and with the boat still fully intact, it didn’t stop Zuko from tripping on the boat and slamming his wrist into the railing. When they returned to the land, Sokka made the Firelord take off his glove so it could be inspected.

“I’m fine, Sokka,” Zuko repeated but he failed at trying to hide his wince when the Ambassador put pressure on different parts of his wrist.

“You keep saying that,” Sokka said before making eye contact with his boyfriend. “Eventually, I’m gonna stop believing you.” Sokka put his cold hand on Zuko’s cheek. Incredibly, the bender’s face was warm despite the freezing temperatures. “I think it’s just a strain but I want GranGran to look. She’ll know what to do.”

Begrudgingly, Zuko complied. When they got to GranGran’s igloo, she treated him with a wrap bandage to give him support and instructed him not to use his left hand for a day or two. She left the two in the living room to make them a hot bowl of soup to warm them up. Zuko laughed quietly to himself. Though he didn’t need help warming himself, the sentiment was nice and he wouldn’t dare turn her down.

Suddenly, Sokka shot up off the couch. “I forgot. I have to help dad..descale the fish. He asked me to give him a hand and I should go do that before I forget again. I’ll be back soon.” Zuko began to stand up.

“Let me help,” Zuko started.

“No!” Sokka insisted. “I just..I mean you need to rest your wrist. It won’t take long. Maybe half an hour or so. Stay here. Have soup. I’ll be back.” Sokka leaned down and kissed Zuko on the cheek.

“O- Okay,” the Firelord agreed and Sokka hurried out the door.

\-----------------

Sokka was a bit off on his predictions. Instead of half an hour, he took two. When he finally raced back to GranGran’s, he found Zuko sitting outside in the snow meditating. Again, flames exited his nose every time he exhaled. Sokka remembered the first time he saw that at the Boiling Rock. Usually, the action was so attractive...but usually, the action was _intentional_. Once Sokka got close enough, he saw that in the past two hours, the bags under Zuko’s eyes had deepened, turning a dark shade of purple.

The sound of the wind overpowered his hearing aid so he was only able to hear Sokka once he was already sitting beside him. Normally, this would have made him flinch but his reflexes were dulled by sleep deprivation.

Sokka put a hand on his right shoulder, “Hey. How are you?” Zuko inhaled deeply, released a flame, blinked his eyes open slowly, and turned to Sokka after several moments had passed.

“Anyway...how are you?” Zuko asked as if the transition were at all normal.

“What?” Sokka leaned in. “Zu, you didn’t answer my question.”

“Whether I answered it outloud or in my head, I’m too tired to repeat myself,” Zuko replied so quietly that Sokka almost didn’t hear him. Sokka pulled Zuko into a light hug and sat on his knees to kiss the crown of Zuko’s head.

“Come with me,” Sokka whispered into Zuko’s good ear. He held the Firelord’s right hand and helped him to his feet.

“Where are we going?” Zuko mumbled, letting Sokka support him a bit as they walked.

“Let’s go back to the hotel,” Sokka said with a soft smile. “It’s 9 o’clock. We should get in bed.” Zuko wasn’t in the mood to argue as he let Sokka drag him in silence.

\----------------

“Close your eyes,” Sokka whispered with his back pressed against the hotel door. Zuko cocked his head and raised his eyebrow. “Oh, come on, just do it!”

Grumbling, Zuko closed his eyes. Sokka grabbed the doorknob with one hand and Zuko’s right hand in his other and pulled the Firelord inside. A waft of warmth hit Zuko’s face as he entered. He heard Sokka close the door behind him and then he felt his boyfriend wrap his arms around his waist from behind. The Ambassador placed his chin on Zuko’s shoulder and nuzzled up by his ear, “Okay. You can open them.”

Zuko did as he was told and immediately gasped. “I..it’s..what,” he stammered. Zuko rubbed his good eye to make sure he wasn’t at a level of exhaustion where he was seeing things and continued to take in the room. “You did this? Why?”

“Yep,” Sokka started. “I know that the sun is technically still up but I think we could trick your body into believing otherwise. Or we should at least try.” Sokka continued to explain as Zuko walked around the room. “The curtains that were up allowed way too much light in, so I got three layers of polardog leather, tacked them together, and covered the window to black out the room. On the bed you’ll find a mask for you to wear. I found an old pair of sleep pants, cut up the legs, and sewed them together. Just in case _any_ light manages to make its way through the curtain, that should block it. I have a pot of lavender chamomile tea brewing. I know how much that blend relaxes you. And then I only lit the one candle so that we could see well enough to get to the bed but once I blow it out..you’ll be the only sunshine left in the room. But you don’t glow when you’re not bending so I think that’s fine.”

Sokka looked like he was going to continue talking when Zuko interrupted him with a kiss. His voice cracked as he whispered, “I love you, turtleduck. Thank you...For someone who was lucky to be born...I am incredibly happy.”

Sokka rubbed his nose against Zuko softly, “Well, for someone whose life was to be filled with self inflicted struggling and anguish, I’m incredibly happy, too.”

Zuko pulled back to look Sokka in the eye, “What? Who told you that?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot we weren’t friends then,” Sokka remembered. “We met this fortune teller named Aunt Wu and she...did _not_ like me.”

Zuko pulled himself back into Sokka’s embrace. “That’s un _fortunate_.” Sokka snorted and kissed the firebender on top of his head.

“I’m just so glad I have you. I got to choose my own destiny,” Sokka spoke into inky hair. Tears began to build behind Zuko’s overly tired eyes as Sokka helped him change into blue pajamas.

The Ambassador coaxed the Firelord gently into bed after two cups of tea and pulled Zuko tight against his chest. The candle had been blown out and Zuko pulled the mask over his eyes as he relaxed into Sokka’s arms. As Sokka sang quietly into his ear from behind, Zuko couldn’t help but think this was the first time in days he’d been able to take a deep breath.

Overwhelmed by how quickly his body had been tricked into sleep and the incredible generosity of his boyfriend, Zuko smiled softly and mumbled, “I’m so lucky we’re getting married.” The moment the words escaped, Zuko’s entire body tensed and his eyes shot wide open. He _could not believe_ he said that. It was supposed to be a surprise. Maybe Sokka didn’t hear?

“We’re...getting married?” Sokka asked. Spirits. Of course he noticed.

_Alright. Stay calm. Don’t move. Thank Agni your eyes are covered by this mask. Maybe..maybe you can pretend you’re already asleep._

“Why do you think we’re getting married? Are we getting married? Who told you that?..Hey...jerkbender...what do you know? Why’d you say that?” Sokka insisted. He tried not to undo the work they’d done to help Zuko relax but..that completely threw him off guard.

Zuko didn’t budge. Sokka paused and listened as Zuko’s breath evened out involuntarily in his embrace. Zuko’s formerly tense body had gone completely limp. Resigned, Sokka realized that his plan had worked and the Firelord was asleep now for the first time in days.

“Sleep well, jerk. I love you,” Sokka said quietly, letting it go. He continued to sing to Zuko so quietly it was almost inaudible until he, too, fell asleep.

\-----------------

Sokka woke up at a regular hour the next morning and did his best not to disturb Zuko. He didn’t need to be so careful, though, because not much would be able to wake the Firelord from his slumber. Sokka stayed by Zuko’s side the whole day with the exception of meals. When he left for breakfast, he wrote a note and left it by Zuko’s bedside only to find it unmoved each time he returned. By the end of the day, the message had been altered twice.

> _Sunshine,_
> 
> _I’m grabbing breakfast lunch dinner with dad. I’ll be back soon. I love you._
> 
> _Turtleduck_

After he returned from dinner, Sokka pulled on a pair of red and brown pajamas and climbed in next to his little ball of fire. By this time tomorrow, all of his friends would be there which left Sokka almost too excited to sleep. Eventually, he drifted off with a firebender in his arms, black hair pressed against his face, and a smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My partner accused me of not being cared for enough in adolescence and that is...not incorrect. Oops. 
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos! I hope you enjoyed! Follow me on tumblr @honeybunchesofotey


	11. The Greatest Honor Imaginable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A good proposal could never be ruined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Work got really stressful which only exacerbated my writer's block. I hope you enjoy!

“Sokka, wake up,” Katara shook her brother’s shoulder. Sokka groaned but he obliged. He rubbed his eyes free of sleep and his face broke into the largest smile at the sight of his sister. Katara pulled her hands away from the jewelry that had returned to her neck long enough to wrap Sokka up into a platypus bear hug and squeeze him tight.

“Katara, it’s so good to see you!” Sokka exclaimed, squeezing her right back. “When did you get in?” Sokka released her from his grip and scooted over in the bed so she could sit beside him as they caught up. 

“We got in a couple of hours ago,” Katara said with a sigh. “I would have woken you sooner but Bumi’s not used to flying yet and I wanted to get all of the baby vomit out of my hair before I saw you.” 

“Aww, how sweet of you to think of me,” Sokka teased. He sat back against the bedframe and placed his hand on the pillow beside him, expecting to find a head of black hair. “Spirits!” Sokka pulled his palm to his chest as if he’d been bitten. “Zuko’s missing! He was asleep for, like, 36 hours and now he’s just gone?”

“He’s not missing,” Katara assured her overly dramatic brother. Sokka whipped his head back around to his sister with his brow raised. Before he could speak, Katara held her hand up to preemptively cut him off. “Zuko actually met us two hours ago when we landed with Appa. He told us how you helped him a few days ago and I think it was incredibly sweet of you. He wouldn’t stop gushing about it so I’m starting to think you’ve managed to make him a bigger sap than Aang.” 

Katara hopped up off the edge of the bed and held her hand out to her brother to pull him up. “In fact, he sent me to come get you. We’re getting breakfast. Toph and Suki landed half an hour ago and he figured you wouldn’t want us to eat without you. Get dressed! I’m starving.” The two shared a smile before Sokka jumped up and hurried to ready himself. 

As the Water Tribe siblings walked a familiar path through their homeland, the conversation flowed easily. There was so much to catch up on in each other’s lives that Sokka didn’t even notice they’d approached their destination. As Katara made her way to the opening of the massive igloo in front of them, Sokka stopped in his tracks with a question mark painted on his face.

“Wait. Lusa’s isn’t open until 2 pm. What are we doing here?” Sokka asked. Katara turned to meet her brother back where he had landed. 

“It’s the nicest place in town. Between the Avatar, the Firelord, and a member of the Southern Water Tribe who kind of saved the world, we were able to talk them into opening early for the day,” Katara explained with a proud, mischievous smile, grabbing Sokka’s hand to lead him to the front entrance. 

As his sister pulled him through the doorway, he couldn’t help but notice just how _closed_ they seemed to be. “Well, um, you didn’t seem to talk them into it well enough because it doesn’t seem like they got the message,” Sokka said jokingly as his eyes began to adjust in the complete darkness. 

As if on cue, a hundred candles lit up the space. Sokka gasped and reflexively grabbed his sister’s wrist. The shock of the unexpected and abundant firebending was a lot to take in all at once. Katara pulled her brother into a gentle hug and whispered, “I love you so much. You deserve all the happiness in the world.” She pulled away and slipped off to Sokka’s left. As the Ambassador watched her walk to the wall and take a seat beside Aang, he looked around the room for the first time, finally able to take in every detail. 

His friends and family surrounded him in the flames. With Bumi wrapped tightly to his chest, Aang handed Katara a large candle to match the rest. Beside them, Suki smiled warmly and leaned to whisper into Toph’s ear, undoubtedly describing the events to her as they took place. On the other wall, his father and Bato sat beaming up at him. Sokka noticed as Bato wiped a single tear from Hakoda’s face which made the warrior catch his breath. To Bato’s right, Mai held her candle tight, the smallest whisper of a smile creeping over her lips. 

His eye caught on the flame beside her as it changed from orange to blue. The aqua lit up the teasing smirk on Azula’s face. Without warning, the flame flickered back to orange causing the bender to huff quietly, resigning her candle to remain uniform. Well...not completely. Though she allowed her flame to regain the same color, her candle flickered the highest as if reflecting her pride. Then Sokka noticed the one pair of eyes in the room that hadn’t landed on him. Iroh’s expression was identical to Hakoda’s, but it was not reserved for the Ambassador. Sokka followed the gaze of the tea maker to find the final person in the room; Zuko. 

Suddenly overwhelmed, Sokka took in a sharp, deep breath as he watched his boyfriend walk to the center of the room. Where there would normally be beautiful artisan tables, the middle was bare save for one lush rug made of polar dog fur. Sokka could already feel tears sting his eyes as they began to build. He sat his bag at his feet and made his way to Zuko as swiftly as possible. Zuko offered his hands but Sokka slipped into his arms instead. Zuko laughed as he wrapped his best friend in a warm embrace and tucked a fallen hair behind his ear. 

“What is all this, Zu?” Sokka asked quietly. The Firelord slid his hands onto the back of the Ambassador’s head and planted the lightest kiss on his cheek. 

“Sit with me, my love,” Zuko whispered. He squeezed Sokka once before releasing him and tangling their fingers together. Zuko gracefully pulled the other man to the ground. The fur of the rug was soft and supple but, to Sokka, it was nothing compared to the touch of the Firelord. 

“Sokka,” Zuko began, loud enough for the others to hear while maintaining the intimacy of the moment. “You are the best man I’ve ever met. You are generous and kind and loving. And funny! You were the first person to ever make me laugh so hard I completely forgot where I was. You’re so intelligent, Sokka. You are far smarter than you would ever give yourself credit for being. No one has ever treated me as well as you do. You inspire me to be the best version of myself I can be. Turtleduck, you are the best friend I could have imagined having and you are a far better boyfriend than I deserve. I am so lucky to get to love you. Every day I spend beside you is the best day of my life.” 

A shy smile made its way across Zuko’s lips followed immediately by a deep crimson blush. He slipped his hand into a pocket in his coat and pulled out a small, silver box. The firebender placed it in Sokka’s free hand and removed the lid to reveal a handmade engagement bracelet. 

“Sokka, would you please do me the honor of marrying me?” Zuko asked, pulling the jewelry from its container to place on his boyfriend’s wrist. Before he got the chance, Sokka pulled Zuko’s hand up to his eyes to examine the bracelet more closely as tears silently fell down his face. The intricately carved details of the charm and the tightly woven fabric must have taken hours of the Firelord’s time in order to get it perfect. Sokka thought that he couldn’t have done a better job himself if he had tried. 

“Tui and La, sunshine. This is gorgeous,” Sokka responded, kissing Zuko’s knuckles lightly. A smile had placed itself on the Ambassador’s face permanently. Then Sokka started chuckling softly to himself, confusing Zuko. The Firelord cocked his head at the group as the others (people Zuko had briefly forgotten were there) began to join in on the laughter. 

“What’s so funny?” Zuko asked, the smallest bit of fear tightening into a ball in his stomach.

“Wait right here. Gimme just a second,” Sokka responded as he leaned over to press a firm kiss on Zuko’s forehead. The fear that was trying to make its home in Zuko’s stomach dissipated and was replaced with pure excitement. Sokka ran back to the restaurant entrance to grab his bag. As he made it back to his boyfriend (?) on the rug, he quieted his laughter but kept his smile glued to his face. 

“I really can’t believe this, Zu. I guess I shouldn’t have been as nervous as I was this week, considering,” Sokka explained playfully. He riffled through his bag and pulled out a thin object about three quarters of a foot long and placed it in Zuko’s hands. It felt weighty and cool and Zuko joined the laughter immediately when he looked down, finally understanding the joke. Laying in his hands was a very well made knife. It was a dark ashy color with specks of ruby and sapphire in the handle. This was clearly forged by Sokka. “I was going to do this tonight at the festival, but it would appear that my own sister is incapable of keeping her promises to me.” 

Sokka turned his gaze towards Katara who shrugged her shoulders in response. “Zuko met us at the docks this morning. We were always planning to help whoever got to us first today.” Sokka grunted lovingly in response and returned his eyes to Zuko. 

“Anyway, I’ve done a lot of research on how people in the Fire Nation propose and I was _super_ thrilled to find out that they present their partner with a hand crafted knife. So I went to Master Piandao and he guided me on how to put this together. That same meteorite that I made my sword out of all those years ago was still there by his quarters. We gathered enough to create the knife but I decided I wanted a way to bring our nations together. It would appear we had the same idea,” Sokka pointed at the bracelet that remained in Zuko’s hand. “I collected some sapphires and rubies and we forged them into the handle. So what -”

Sokka lifted his eyes to find Zuko’s two tiny suns staring back at him and he cut himself off. Even though Zuko was still laughing silently at the absurdity of both men choosing to propose at the same time, tears had begun to fall down his cheeks. They flowed so quickly that Sokka found it hard to notice where one drop ended and the next began. 

He brought his hands to Zuko’s face, wiping the tears out of the way and with firm intention said, “What I’m trying to say is that you’re my favorite person in the world. Marrying you would be the greatest honor imaginable. I would be delighted to be your husband and I am overjoyed that you want to be mine.” 

Sokka leaned forward to bring Zuko into a tight embrace. With both the knife and the bracelet still in his hands, Zuko wrapped his arms around Sokka’s neck, allowing several moments to pass as their hearts beat in time together. The Ambassador pulled himself away only far enough so that their lips met softly and the friends surrounding them cheered. 

The men in the center were joined by their loved ones, excited to see the bracelet as Zuko tied it around Sokka’s wrist. Iroh and Azula were eager to check out the knife the Firelord was holding proudly. Through the words of love and congratulations, Zuko was sure he heard Aang sincerely say, “I can’t believe my great grandson is getting married.” 

The group would have stayed like this for hours if Toph hadn’t insisted that they actually eat something. Looking at Sokka’s new engagement bracelet simply ‘wasn’t doing it for her’. As they shifted into breakfast, the conversation between reunited friends was loud and joyful. Every few minutes, Sokka and Zuko would take a brief second to share a smile or steal a kiss. The Firelord leaned over to his Ambassador once a moment to interrupt arose and whispered in his ear, “I love you, turtleduck.”

Sokka wrapped his arm around his brand new fiancé and squeezed him tight. “I love you, too, sunshine.” Zuko fit in Sokka’s arm like he was born to be there. The two remained pressed against each other as their friends chatted around them. Sokka pressed a gentle kiss on the top of Zuko’s head and his heart fluttered in his chest. 

_This_ , Sokka thought, _this is bliss_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos! It's meant so much. Thank you guys for being so encouraging about the first fic I've ever written.


End file.
